One Zero Eight
by anrichandesu
Summary: The person under that man isn't Mika. It wasn't Mika who I was just talking to moments earlier. It's just a red lump of something. Tokyo Ghoul AU with everything is more messed up and everyone is having secret when Yuu don't understand anything at all. (with a little appearances from tokyo ghoul's character)
1. What people Called Monster

Ghoul is a monster which disguises like a normal human being, they talk, laugh, and maybe be a popular or super smart people. But, on the darkest night, these monsters hunt down the dead flesh of humans.

When I was a child, I always think Ghoul was just some bad characters in a story.

They didn't exist, and even if they were real what people called Ghoul Investigator would kill all of them and saved the day just like heroes on a story.

I guess I interpret the story in a wrong way.

"Yuu-chan… Stop reading newspapers and solve this problem, I promise this is the last one."

"…."

"Yuu-chan, Do you even understand what those kanji means?"

"… Shut up."

"Hey, Yuu-chan."

"…"

"Yuu-chan!" Said the blond boy after he snatched away the newspaper on Yuu's hand, and when the blue meet the green one, the blond just smiles and fold the paper then put it on the edge of the table.

"What is it, Mika?"

"Solved. This. Problem. Or you may take another summer class while I'm having a nice vacation with Akane and the others."

Yuu let out a groan that makes the blonde giggling and start solving what he said _the last problem_.

"…. Ah, Yuu-chan.. Do you believe Ghoul's exist?"

Yuu reply with a simple nod and add, "Well, some of our kids end up in our orphanage because of them, right? It's weird to hear you asking me that, anyway."

Mika keeps quiet. He knew that as well, no, he truly knew that as well. He lives in Hyakuya orphanage long before Yuu came and maybe he had heard a lot of soft crying from the slightly opened door and that's the reason why his breathing became a little chaotic.

"… But.. We never exactly see them, right?" Ask Mika.

"Well.. I heard that they disguise as normal people, and kill us in the middle of the night. Maybe, you are Ghoul too, Mika." Yuu look up and find those clear crystals-blue eyes looking back at him and one simple smile that always make his heart flutters.

"Ha ha ha ha funny… You will all dead if I were one, Yuu-chan."

Mika checks his watch and quickly finish his orange juice, realizing they were late for dinner. When he tells Yuu about this, the black haired boy eating all of the remaining sandwich while gathering his belongings into his bag. He waits for Mika in front of the exit door and give a simple nod to the blue haired waitress in the back of cashier table.

"Thank you for the meal Kirishima-san!" Said Mika before he exited the café and catch up with Yuu.

There're only Yuu and Mika walking on the street.

Earlier, Yuu can hear music on Mika's favorite playlist from earphone they share together, before he hear special ringtone for a phone call from Akane.

"Um.. Sorry, Akane, I'm on my way with Mika right now. Next week we will have Math Quiz so…" Yuu hear a noise, as well as something resembling a person's—no, Akane's voice. The atmosphere is obviously different, even Mika stop and looking at Yuu with pure concern.

The intermittent voice gradually begins to form words. It makes Yuu feel cold to spine when he realizes its sound of children screaming and crying. There is quite a lot of noise mixed in, like glass shattering, something thrown to the wall and then Yuu can somehow make out a few parts.

"….. Yuu-chan…. Don't come home…. It…. Dangerous…. Please…."

Once, those words have been said, Yuu can hear many screams and enumeration of words he can't understand. He looks at Mika who look back at him with confused stares, Yuu puts down his phone and then grab Mika's hand before running towards a crescent moon, which was floating in the deep black sky, obscured by thick clouds.

"Yuu-chan, what happened?"

"… It's surely just some kind of joke, right?" Yuu whisper, in an attempt to persuade himself. He still remembers the noises and sound of his family crying and screaming in that phone call. The noises slowly become louder and louder in his head, making Yuu panic and run with all he got ignoring Mika's words and questions.

It seems like forever before they finally reach their home—Hyakuya Orphanage.

Yuu looks at Mika who stand beside him, lips are shaking and their teeth are chattering. Yuu have told him what happened earlier, and he feels the adrenaline pumping his heart into the limit after all of running and dread for what will they see beyond the front door.

Mika slowly loses his grasp and let go his hand from Yuu's.

"I will go first. You stay here and call the police or anything if I don't come back in five minutes."

"What the hell—Mika, I come with you."

"No. Stay. Here."

The boy feels his heartbeat quickens and bit his inside cheeks when he see Mika's back slowly getting farther and farther. He grabs his phone and checking the time after Mika opens the front door and come inside the building.

He doesn't wait five minutes like what Mika said. It is not even one minute past, after Mika entered the house and Yuu find himself walking towards the front gate to the garden and stand in front of the white door. He pushes the door and sees thick blood covering walls and floors with lifeless of the director's body with no hands and some part of his legs.

"There's no one left here anymore, and soon, me too…." The minute he murmurs that he hears Mika yelling voice from inside the house.

"YUU-CHAN! CALL THE AAARGH!"

Yuu finds himself running towards their shared bedroom on the second floor, ignoring the smell of blood and dead bodies with some missing limbs or head on their paths. He's not alone, Mika's there and maybe he can do something to help his only one friend and family from this disaster. Yuu wipe the tears that threaten to fall again, and take a deep breath before pushing the door in front of him.

"Mika, you there?"

The door slowly opens and giving Yuu a view of a man with long silver hair done in a ponytail, he grabs Mika by his collar while the other hand grabbing what looks like his mask. A pair of black-red eyes now look at Yuu, like those sapphire eyes that widened in fear. "Look, we have another guest." The man said then throw Mika to the corner of the room.

"Yuu-chan! GO! RUN!" Mika barked as he tried to stand up, his pure white shirt now stained with red.

"Are you here to help your little friend?" Yuu's eyes come back to the man in front of him, a smirk wide across his face.

"YUU-CHAN, RU—" before Mika can finish his sentence something that looks like a tail with a red spike like dragon skin stab right into his stomach.

"Could you shut up for one second? I'm in the middle of conversation right now?" Said the ghoul.

"MIKA!" Yuu screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw Mika vomiting the blood.

"Yuu-chan… r—run…"

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"

His green eyes land on blue eyes for one final time, Mika gives his sweet smile and quickly slip out from Kagune when its power loosens and head straight towards the direction of the others. "HEY, STUPID MONSTER, IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!" After Mika grabs the ghoul attention he secretly throw a gun to Yuu.

The boy successfully grabs the gun and aiming it to the head of the Ghoul, he gives a little smirk before release the safety and put his fingers on the trigger.

"Have a nice dream." He said with a low voice then pull the trigger. After this he will ask Mika where does he find this thing.

1…2…..3…..

Nothing happened.

The silver haired ghoul laugh and look at them with fake pity stare. Yuu look at Mika who just standing there with horror. They can't do anything, they can't win. Mika suddenly looks at the door, he runs and push Yuu before he close the door in front of his only one family. Yuu hear sounds of clicking and start banging the door.

"MIKA! OPEN THE DOOR! MIKA! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! MIKAAAA!"

However, at that moment, Yuu can no longer hear the boy's voice. But it is not because Mika stop speaking. He is beating up the door and screaming his only one family name on top of his lungs.

"MIKA! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! STOOOOOP! PLEASE STOOP.. HIS MY ONLY FAMILY…"

Between the sound of his hand banging and his scream he can hear Mika's screaming and sound of something shatter, then the iron smelled of blood spreading from the ventilation. His voice does not reach Mika nor the ghoul. Yuu can hear someone laugh, someone cry, someone begging for his life and sound of something like a bone breaking apart.

"Stop! Please, stop! Mika…."

That's when Yuu thinks that anything that happen today is a part of his daily nightmare. He falls to his knees and feel the dull-ache that come from his both hands. All he wants to just live a normal life after his parent throw him away, being with the person he sort as best-friend, obtaining whatever he wants, and living days happily. Argued with Mika, made Akane cries, and played with little kids in the backyards of the orphanage. Those seemed like really simple things, but yet.

"….. Mika."

The boy murmurs as falling to the ground.

He clench his fist tightly.

"….. I'm sorry, I can't help you… I can't save you… I don't have enough power."

 _Sorry._

 _If I follow what Akane told me and didn't come home._

 _If we were coming home early and we called the police or Ghoul Investigator._

 _The one who was fault on this disaster was powerless me._

Yuu hear nothing and let his tears flowing down his cheeks.

The director is dead.

The children—his little brother and sister is dead.

Akane is dead.

Mika is dead.

And it's all because of him.

* * *

"Guren-sama, Y-Yuki-chan found one survivor."

"…."

Ichinose Guren looks up at the pitch black sky with one crescent moon and no star.

A girl with pure white uniform and a big white case on her left hand and crowned with brown hair stand not far behind him. Her name is Hanayori Sayuri, and the shorter girl with long dark hair who stand beside her while giving a deep bow to Guren is Yukimi Shigure.

"He just lost consciousness because of shock, no physical injured. What should we do, Guren-sama?"

"Those Hiiragi probably doesn't need him. Can I see him for a second?"

"Of course."

Yukimi Shigure escorts Guren to one ambulance car and found a boy with messy black hair sat above the bed with one hand grabbing his head.

"One survivor from Prince's case. My name is Ichinose Guren, First Class Investigator. Nice to meet you, kid. What's Your name, anyway?"

What Guren doesn't expect is a glare full of hatred and feeling of betrayed.

"WHY DON'T YOU COME EARLIER YOU BASTARD. YOU KILL EVERYONE! YOU KILL MIKA!"

Guren raises one of his eyebrows, _this brat is interesting._

"The one who kill them is you. If you call us earlier, we won't have to bring a lot of dead bodies." Then Guren looks in those empty green eyes and put a little smirk, "Oh well.. I think I would hear something about revenge, but… You just a weak one after all. You put the blame on the other, even if you were the one to blame. Don't worry, you will put into another orphanage in Kyoto in case you develop some trauma if you stay in Tokyo." He said and deciding to leave, he gives the signal to Shigure but his movement stop when one hand grabs his white coat tightly.

"Please… teach me how to kill them…. How to kill those monsters."

"Now, that's what I want to hear."


	2. Friends and Comrades

Yuu wakes up to the piercing noise of alarm and stretch his hand out, fumbling to reach the mobile phone. After turning off the alarm, he checks the time and let out a large sigh, he _is_ late for a meeting and he _can't_ make any excuses because the one who told him about it was Guren himself. Long story short, it is checkmate for Yuu.

Turn around, he dives back into the warm futon for a while, resetting the thoughts of making excuses and an urge to go back sleep. He wonders how most of people manage to wake up so early like clockwork day after day even if they sleep after midnight. While pondering such nonsense, Yuu hear his ringtone and pick up a very early phone call.

"HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO SLEEP FOR, BRAT! I ALREADY TOLD YOU TIME FOR MEETING!"

"….. Sorry."

As the intensely bright sunlight rains down on his bedroom from the opened curtain, in Yuu's head, he imagined red letters in caps lock floating: "YOU ARE DEAD".

* * *

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

Yuu lets a loud sigh come from his mouth after seeing lilac-haired girl in front of his apartment door.

"You look like some stalker, Shinoa. It's already two weeks you've been following and waiting me in front of my apartment, and you know _I will_ follow the rules now."

"Sorry, but I just did my job."

"And as far as I know you're not under Guren's squad, so why you follow his order?"

"I assume that you don't know how stupid you are, Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou-san."

"Whatever."

It's already spring, and the landscape of the route Yuu usually uses starts to look completely like the first episode of any cliché anime. Winter clothes and sweater-wearing boys and girls that seem to get along are flickering on his field of vision. After that day, he never went to normal school and continued his study on CCG academy. He graduate in three years and began his career as a Ghoul Investigator at 17 years old under Associate Special Class Ichinose Guren's surveillance.

Yuu know that some bad rumors spreading in CCG about he'd taken all of credit from some squad just because he killed the ghoul and practically save all of the squad members. And because of those rumors, Guren somehow makes Shinoa following Yuu around as supervisor.

First-class Investigator, Hiiragi Shinoa. Her family owned quite a big role in CCG's development, especially on technologies and Intels. The first thing that catches Yuu's attention is the way she perpetually exudes elegance. She was a spitting image of a young lady from high society. She had fair skin and big eyes that always look bored with anything and plump, rosy lips. Her slightly waved hair reached her chest and most of it was a crown braid tied back with a big bow. Her petite figure was angelic, and Yuu had to admit that she was a beautiful girl.

"Do you think that brown haired girl is cute, Yuu-san?"

"Which on—wait, what?"

Shinoa cocked her head and give him a mischievous smile.

"So you _did_ look at cute high schoolers. Do you imagine them on their underwear and you are pinning them on motel bed or something like that?"

"Don't jump into weird conclusion."

"Okay." Say Shinoa.

Still, her expression tells Yuu, she is not really gave this conversation up.

"Actually, I have something to ask you."

"Hm? What?"

"Are you gay?"

"What the hell, Shinoa!"

Yuu retorted reflexively. Something must be wrong with her. Well, Shinoa have been behaving like this since they first met, and even at this young age she already has First-Class rank, but still, she spends her precious time following some low-rank investigator.

"Just do your job." He said.

"I am. Just follow and make sure you don't make any problem may be boring for both of us and Associate Special Class Ichinose told me that you never got a friend in three year academy and have a problem with socializing. Just pretend this is some normal conversation with friends."

Shinoa suddenly looked serious.

Yuu get that he shouldn't have said that and what she said all true. He remembers always show blatant disgust towards his classmates, completely shutting out their conversation that sets his teeth on edge. But this probably wasn't something to be particularly noted on, it was Yuu's default. Because of nightmares, he had the habit of staying up late at night, and when he was woken up by the morning sun, he would get irritated by his drowsiness, not to mention that he would be easily irritated by the attitude of his classmates and teachers. Because of that, the expression in Yuu's eyes always looked bad, and no one trying to get close to him, ever again.

"Sorry about that," He apologized.

"Yuu-san."

Shinoa looks up and meet a pair of green eyes.

"Yeah, what is it now?" Yuu replied.

Yuu's gaze never left her eyes because if he had looked away, Shinoa would surely have interpreted that in some weird way. To avoid that, he had no choice but to keep on staring at a pair of rose eyes.

"You're observing me."

"… What…?"

"Look, you're looking at me right now, maybe with some thought _why she's so cute, I want to date her and make her mine._ "

Yuu holds his urge to throw this girl to the river. It didn't seem like Shinoa wanted to stop disdaining him any further or maybe this is something what Shinoa thinks as normal conversation. Yuu never know.

Fanning out before his very eyes—people. People, people, people, and people and more people walking wearing white coat and holding big cases. Well, it is CCG's branch office in District 13, and this is the time when the number of Investigators going to do their work, pursuing and investigating some cases that related to ghoul. Of course, it wasn't peak hours yet, but the sheer number of investigators made Yuu think that head office, maybe weren't just people, but more like a _mass_.

Stand in the huge lobby of the CCG's office always make him almost forget his purpose and for the first time in his life, he is glad having Shinoa lead the way to Guren's office every time he called here.

Yuu walk along the tiled corridor towards Guren's office at the end of it. But Shinoa suddenly stops and give a polite nod to the blonde haired woman and black-grayish haired man. Yuu made an eye-contact with both of strangers and give a slight bow because they obviously have higher rank than him. After that, they continue proceeding down the corridor and standing side by side in front of a big an antique-looking wooden door. Shinoa knocks it three times before putting her hands on the handler and pushed it open.

"Excuse us, Associate Special Class Ichinose." She said with certain manner before entering the room, Yuu follow her while giving a slight bow.

He noticed Guren sits in his almighty chair with both legs crossing above his mahogany table.

"Late. Both of you." He said with a stoic expression.

Yuu did expect to meet only Guren in his room today, but there is more people sitting on the guest sofa and a white-haired man who lean at the corner of Guren's huge table with both hands crossing on his chest.

"I apologize." Shinoa said.

"What happen here? Why there are so many people today?" Yuu asked, ignoring the tense atmosphere and obviously make Guren let out a loud sigh.

The man sends down his legs before standing up and put both of his hands on his pants pocket and said with a loud voice, "The reason I gather you all today—except Shinya of course, is because I already had a permission to form a new squad. The member is, obviously, Hiiragi Shinoa, Hyakuya Yuuichirou, Sanguu Mitsuba, Kimizuki Shihou, and Saotome Yoichi. The leader is of course Shinoa, because she had the highest rank among all of you, despite her lack of experience." Guren mentions all names while pointing his finger at the owner of the name.

"No way… I can tell you just jealous because I get this rank at a very young age." Said Shinoa with a sing-song voice, her professional gesture was all gone and she looks at the members of this new squad one by one with judging stare. "These guys do have an interesting past, don't they? Associate Special Class Ichinose."

"Shinoa… Don't ask such a question, it's rude." The white-haired man said with a playful tone yet his expression is as cold as ice.

"I'm sorry, Shinya- _niisan_."

"Tch… I guess I really have a bad day to be in the squad with you, Shinoa." Said the girl with her blonde hair tied up into the twin - tail, Shinoa fixing her gaze to her while grinning.

"Fancy sees you here, Micchan." She said.

"Associate Special Class Ichinose, permission to talk freely." The twin-tail girl switching her gaze to Guren—or maybe glaring at him—Guren just shrugged his shoulder as the answer and the girl called _Micchan_ continue to ranting about a squad full of incompetence and amateur.

"Is she…" Yuu's words cut down by Shinoa saying, "Sanguu Mitsuba, Rank 1 Investigator. I bet you know rumors about one investigator that always be the one who surviving a massacre no matter what squad she joined. Well, that is her."

"Is that a rumor like that? Honestly, I haven't heard one of them until today." He said before let his gaze travelling through another two who sat still on the sofa.

The one is man probably around the same age as Yuu with pink haired and glasses with a sour expression and looks like he is holding an urge to storm out the room because he didn't come to hear a girl having a debate with their superior. And the one who sat beside the glasses boy had a slight curl, brown hair with big round eyes which looks troubled with what happen in this room. Yuu tries hard to remember their name, the girl its Sanguu Mitsuba, the glasses are Kimizuki Shihou, and the last is Saotome Yoichi.

"Okay, first mission for this squad." Guren announces after make Mitsuba can't object him anymore, "In one week I want all of you become close enough to not let others died in a mission. That's it. Dismiss."

"…. What?"

Yuu's voice reaches Guren's ears and the man glared at him before said, "Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou, I hope you behave on this team. Treat them as your family and don't act like you will win the battle with ghoul alone. Teamworks are important if you don't want to lose one or two limbs."

And all of attention in this room is on Yuu.

"So this is the loner who always took all the credit. Heh, good thing they don't raise your rank up." The boy—Kimizuki Shihou said with a smirk on his face while standing up and gathering his belongings.

"Kimizuki-kun," the shorter boy or Saotome Yoichi said and suddenly stand in front of Kimizuki with a pleading voice and expression, "He is our comrade now, don't bad mouthing him."

"Hyakuya Yuuichirou… I've heard about you. A mere investigator who acts like a hero and take all of credit by killing the ghoul that is not under his assignment. You're not suitable to becoming an investigator at all." Sanguu Mitsuba is just adding an oil to the fire, Yuu curled his fingers into a fist and open his mouth to throw a reply before Shinoa stand in front of him, her hands folding together behind her back.

"Hmmmm…. I'm not surprised of your bad mouth, Micchan. You're not changing at all," She said with a small grin.

"You and your stupid smile are not suitable to become a leader too, Hiiragi Shinoa." She yelled while thumping her feet and stand in front of Shinoa try to intimidate by her height, a pair of violet eyes is hard to look at but Shinoa simply cocked her head and said, "Are you trying to say that _you_ will become a better leader than me?"

"Please don't fight in my room," Guren said before turning back to his chair. "And I already told you all to dismis—"

"Oh, we're not fighting… It's just our unique way to get along each other." Shinoa cut Guren's word and look at Mitsuba with a wide smile spreading on her face. "Right, Micchan?"

Yuu notice that Mitsuba is holding her white case harder and finally she clicks the button and reveal her huge axe form quinque on her left hand, "I'll kill you!"

Shinoa give her soft chuckling before reaching her shoulder bag, the sound click is followed by her sudden reveal of huge scythe form quinque. Yuu takes one step back seeing both deadly weapons before his eyes. But before both girls start clashing their weapon, Guren suddenly stands between the problematic girls and grabbing both of them by the collar then said, " _Dismiss._ "

With one words, they leaving the room with hurried step and stop in front lobby.

"I never know that shoulder bag is actually your quinque." Yuu said.

"The most important rule for ghoul investigator is never, ever _,_ forget to bring their weapon, no matter where they go." Shinoa reply that with a playful tone before facing her new teammates then clapping her hands together, "Should we go to some café and drink a cup of coffee guys?"

* * *

Yuu sure five minutes passed with a really tense atmosphere and eyes locked on one another. Sanguu Mitsuba and Shinoa still look like they will burst into another fight in a matter of seconds. Anyway, Shinoa is the one who suggest to go to café near the office building to start _a very heat getting along each other conversation_ yet she is the one who's not speaking at all and just playing with a pack of brown sugar between her fingers. Bad end. If Guren knows this they will be all dead.

Yuu glanced to the world outside café and thinking about what he should eat for dinner, he noticed Shinoa straight up her position then folding her fingers on the table. She must've gotten what to talk or discuss or whatever because she wears that serious expression with a creepy and cold stare. Yuu looks at the side profile, waiting those lips to form some words, but what he saw just an expression of a person that would kill anyone that pissed them off.

"Shinoa…"

She slowly closed her eyes and inhale and exhale slowly before starts, "I assumed you guys heard what Associate Special Class Ichinose have said before."

"I think the mission of getting along is not necessary." Kimizuki throw a respond after sipping his hot cappuccino.

"He mentions about not let others died, so I guess he had a reason behind it." Mitsuba finally open up her mouth, her gaze is fixed on Yuu.

"That is true." Say Shinoa. "Like I said before, you guys have a unique yet tragic pasts, and there's a reason why he gathers us."

"What past?" Ask Yuu.

"First is you all have experienced losing someone because of ghouls, and it's become one reason you all standing here, right now." Answer Shinoa. "I'm sorry if I said unnecessary things. First, Kimizuki Shihou's sister is suffering some weird disease after some Ghoul attacked his residence eight years ago. Second, Saotome Yoichi, his sister is dead at the hand of ghoul. Third, Hyakuya Yuuichirou, the only one surviving from a Hyakuya orphanage case which involve ghoul Prince. Then Sanguu Mitsuba, how should I put it… lucky? Or cursed investigator that is always being one survived in massacre no matter which squad she join."

Mitsuba surprisingly doesn't give any reaction to those words.

Yuu had no idea that people in front of him experience something similar like his. This world is surely in messed up enough to make innocent people go through this kind of hell. While those thoughts were running through his head, Saotome Yoichi cocked his head.

"So what should we do now?" He asked.

"If I may, can I have all of you introducing yourself?" Shinoa answered, she leans to the sofa placing her both hands on her hips. "Well, let's just start from me. My name is Hiiragi Shinoa, First-class investigator. I usually put in District 1 or 10 but this year they make me move to this district."

"I'm Sanguu Mitsuba, Rank 1 investigator. I have moved to District 13 three years ago,"

"Kimizuki Shihou, Rank 2 investigator,"

"Saotome Yoichi, Rank 3 investigator, nice to meet you."

"Hyakuya Yuuichirou, Rank 3."

"Good. We have ended the introducing part without fight or quarrel. Now, I think I understand why Associate Special Class Ichinose wants us to get along, it is because he already knows that this team will full of problematic member, and probably will put us in disarray while fighting with ghoul."

Yuu figured where this topic lead to and let out a sigh.

"If he _knows_ that why form this team?"

"I think it's obvious because we all bear rate A+ or above quinque. If we know how teamworks do, this team is invincible."

Shinoa replied and played with her hair and straight up her back. "I'm sure you all know what happen to Auction Raid, even with CCG's new creation or… yeah… Qs. We still lost a lot of investigator. And now, the higher ups had been looking after Hiiragi's and Ichinose's subordinate. Of course Hiiragi will do a lot of experimentation, and I guess this is what Ichinose would do, form an invincible team to win."

Shinoa looks at a clock that hanging near the counter and figuring that it was about time to call it a day. It was nearly eight o'clock. They got all of their stuff together and check if there's nothing left behind before exiting the café. And after Yuu left alone with Shinoa, the girl opens her mouth and asked, "Yuu-san, are you familiar with _tsundere_?"

"Hm? What about _tsundere_? … You know what I never expected to hear that word in real life."

Shinoa gave him a little smile and said, "I don't understand why _tsundere_ never say what's in their head. Why say 'I hate you' but they truly love that person."

Yuu didn't know what to say to that. Shinoa isn't the type of girl who talked something like this.

"You should avoid saying things like that," he suggested. "You'll have people from around the country calling for your head. I bet if you were a celebrity your social media would've been blown up with hate speech by now."

"…. That's not the answer I want to hear, actually. Are you worrying about me?"

The lilac-haired girl sent out a soft chuckling. And stopped when they reach the station she usually took to go home. Yuu puts his right hand to his pure white trenched coat pocket when Shinoa adjusting her shoulder bag. But suddenly she put a gloomy-look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that people treat me better when I'm using this expression."

"Seriously..?!"

So she already had a plan in mind for turning her would-be enemies into her supporters. Shinoa is creepy she had a perverse outlook on the world. Well, that means Yuu's concern was unwarranted and it makes him glad with no reason. Perhaps today meeting make she went off on this tangent, but Yuu can't make out who specifically made Shinoa suddenly mention about _tsundere_.

She surely was a strange one.

Even though she randomly encounters pretty much every day, Yuu still can't figure out what goes on in her head. Even if he got used to dealing with her, but that's about it. He can even tell if Shinoa treating him as friend, subordinates, or an enemy.

"Yuu-san." Said Shinoa, bring Yuu out of his reverie.

His train of thought was derailed so he stared at the short girl.

"Are you still having those nightmares?"

"… How do you know?"

"Oh, so you did have dreams about a man shoving his—"

Always come with unexpected comebacks.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT. GODDAMN SHINOA, I THOUGHT YOU ASKED ME SERIOUSLY."

"My humblest apology, I should have known that your status right now is a real virgin. _Of course_ , you never had those dreams,"

"COULD YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT?"

"Please don't shout. Can't you see that this adorable and cute girl is asking you politely?"

She grinned impishly.

"Do you really have to make a hobby out of making me mad?"

"It's really more of a chore than a hobby. It is fate. What am I to do about it?" She said that with dramatic expression.

"You're just basically bullying me!"

While Yuu was busy retorting, a self-deprecating smile slipped on his face. He thinks that they had gotten too friendly with one another. They had forgotten past shouting and glaring at each other. Though they were, in a sense rivals, they certainly didn't bear each other any ill will. In fact, if you tossed Yuu and Shinoa into a locked room, they will get along just fine.

"Um.. Shinoa."

"Hm?" she replied.

"I remember you told me something about your sister."

Caught off guard, Shinoa was at a loss for words. Come to think of it, she shouldn't have been surprised that Yuu asked her that. There's no way after all the yelling about why they can't understand the feeling of losing someone loved when they first met, Yuu wouldn't forget the empty expression after Shinoa accidentally mention about her sister and intentionally hiding that to her teammates earlier.

"… So you did remember."

"Why are you hiding it?" Yuu replied, dispassionately.

Shinoa folding her fingers together and give him a small smile.

"As a leader, if they know my sister is switching places to ghoul sides would they trusting their lives on me?"

"But, it's better to hear it from your mouth than other people."

"Not that I need to tell you this again… but, you know that Hiiragi house have been hiding this truth all those years. That's why I can't say anything about that, and please just pretend you never heard that from me."

"Sure, but still—"

"Let's just pretend that she died because of an accident, or die in action or because of disease like what my family spread up." She fell quiet for a second then said, "I trust you, Hyakuya Yuuichirou."

Praise from Shinoa—now there's a surprise. And then, in a robotic voice, she pronounced, "So, don't become my enemy."

* * *

He was running for life as the others attacked his body mercilessly, his both red eyes glaring at one silhouette that drew closer and attack his thin body with tentacle like thing—Kagune. But before the kagune reaches his white-porcelain skin something or rather someone pull him to one alley, a hand grabs his wrist tight and runs towards dark and endless road that looks like a maze to him.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked him after a long run. He turns on the flashlight and successfully make him squint his eyes, the voice makes a gasp after seeing a big wound on his left arm that began to close itself.

"You look pale, man."

He sighed loudly, this person smells so good.

"Go. Leave me."

"So, you hungry… haven't eaten for days?" The voice asked him with pure concern, he shoves his jacket pocket make a phone with someone and suddenly stand up he bite the flashlight because both of his hands busy adjusting his red cap.

"Help will come. Wait here."

"….. How can I trust strangers like you?"

This person is certainly a human, and after seeing his inhuman ability or probably seeing his left eye anyone will know that he is not just a mere human. He is a monster after all, he doesn't deserve to live. But he can't die either, knife and gun don't harm him, try to die from starvation is like living in hell and without he even notice he sat between a pool of blood and organs, and if his kind come to kill him his legs take him to run away or his kagune will automatically protect him.

"You can call me Hide, by the way. What's your name, mate?"

Before he can make out answers his consciousness drifting away, it's weird, with all of guilt feelings of simply living he can't remember anything, not even a name, his own name.

"I always want to ask you this." Shinya said while flipping the document that Guren pass to him. "Why you gave Mahiru's quinque to Yuuichirou?"

Guren stays silent and slowly look up at the white haired man who lean on his table, paperwork in his hand, but his pair of blue eyes look straight into his eyes, waiting for an answer.

"Why? You want it?"

"No. It's just…. If Shinoa knows would she storm into this room and assassinate you?" He asked and raised one of his eyebrows, Guren let out a small laugh.

"If she can kill me then it's a good thing."


	3. Bring Back my Memories

My eyes are disoriented. The world changes to monochrome in an instant, but in the middle of all of that, the blue of the clear, cloudless sky and the red of blood in contrast of black wooden floor burn the back of my retina. The smell of iron mixes with _Mika_ 's unique scent and without realizing it, all of my feelings directly stimulate the inside of my brain like a punch.

The scenery behind the door was a man who sat on Mika's upper body and his small body that was shred into pieces. It wasn't as if I was going to try and do something at this point, but once I ran over to his side, I could feel the heat enveloping in my throat, eyes, nose, head, and reality slamming into me hard.

 _The person under that man isn't_ Mika _._

 _It wasn't Mika who I was just talking to moments earlier._

 _It's just a red lump of something._

Most part of my brain says this thing isn't _Mika_.

I began to feel nauseated and my head ached horribly. My vision was blurred as if I were trying to open my eyes underwater, water dripping, and it appears that the water seemed to be trickling down from both of my eyes.

I move my mouth to try to talk to _Mika_ but, I'm not sure whether it was drowned out by the sounds of teeth clacking or if my voice didn't come out right from the beginning but I couldn't hear anything at all.

Suddenly I saw _Mika_ 's clear blue eyes looking back at me.

His lips slowly forming a soft smile as the door slowly starts to close.

The swaying closed door was standing awfully close as if it were ridiculing us are trying to get in the way between _Mika_ and me. This is really late, and _Mika_ might feel disgusted but…

"… Mika, I'm sorry."

* * *

She remembers calling Yuu at five and hearing an endless rant about how unnecessary that phone call was and warned her if she come late, he will kill her, but she had some business to attend first. Truth is she didn't want to, but she _must_ head to the rooftop.

The roof was, in theory, off-limits, with the door to it held shut by a multi dial lock, but the unlock sequence was apparently known to some superiors who always stay in the rooftop for skipping some important meeting. Rooftop area was clearly unlocked today, and because she can't find him in his office _that person_ must be here. It's already April and yet he wears his fancy thick coat as he lay sprawled at one end of the roof.

"Ichinose-san."

"That's _Associate Special Class_ Ichinose to you," he replied, raising his upper body.

He looked at her, actually the girl did not want to look back at him, but she had something to ask for, and so she tried to look back and met with a pair of dark violet eyes. Ichinose Guren, the _most_ respective superior as ever.

"Shouldn't you be doing something besides snoozing up here?"

"Actually, I have something to ask about the team you've made under my name, Associate Special Class Ichinose." She said, stating her business.

"I figured. That's about the only reason you'd pay me a visit, Shinoa. Spill it."

"Why you gave Yuu-san my sister's quinque?"

"Why? You want it just like Shinya want it?" Guren brusquely replied.

"Of course no." She countered, "Please answer my question."

"I have no obligation to tell you what I want or wanna do. Actually, Mahiru wrote on her testament that she gave her quinque to _me._ If I don't need it, I can give it to someone who needs it more."

"Do you realize you have just given a dangerous quinque that can possess people, to Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou?"

"Quinque is not that kind of weapon." Said Guren and sighed laboriously, "Let me guess, you want to stick your nose somewhere it doesn't belong."

"What if I am?"

There was no need for Shinoa to conceal her motives from this man, but she responded ambiguously so as to irritate him. Guren stood up tiredly. Their eyes met.

"You look exactly alike to your sister with that cold expression. Is one of your brothers told you to come here an interrogate me?"

Shinoa feels like she should raise her weapon now, but not even her most powerful and effective strategy could hope to defeat an Ichinose Guren. They fought for a long, long time ago and their battle eventually ended with Shinoa kneeling and Guren's sword form quinque scratch a bit of her throat skin.

"We never put an expiry date on our agreement, did we?" asked Guren, tiredly.

"I guess not, and I hope you never set an expiry date on it,"

That was no lie, Shinoa really felt that way, and the agreement is Guren will let Shinoa do whatever she want in exchange she became a loyal servant to him. That includes with Shinoa kill her sister even if CCG's gave an order to catch her alive no matter what happen. If she hadn't said OK to that unexpected proposal, she wouldn't be here today, conversing with him.

"By the way, I manage to tell them your hidden motive, Associate Special Class Ichinose." She said while grinning, "The invincible team to win a battle with Sanguinem group. Well, if they know how teamworks do~"

"You better do your job, Shinoa. I don't want any weird report about this team."

"What a pain, I am a supervisor. My job is only observing people."

"You are a fucking leader now!"

Shinoa looked at Guren amusedly as he thrashed around.

"Come on, what's so surprising about an inexperience cute subordinate can't do her job well because her boss never told her anything except observing people?"

" _Everything is_ surprising about one First-class that can't do anything except to observe people!"

"I kill ghouls too. I even called _Goddess of Death_ in District 10."

"Am I supposed to be surprised about that?! And if the only thing you can do is kill ghouls, that Yuu-brat can do it better than you! Just do your fucking job and lead the team, that'd be a bit refreshing, at least!"

This was no laughing matter yet Shinoa giggling at Guren's irritated expression as he walk towards the exit door. "I will sign that team to Pinocchio's case. You better not let your first teammate died, Shinoa."

"Okaaay~~"

Yuu feel stupid for leaving his packed lunch, but eating in the canteen is not really a bad thing. It's just too many people that make that huge area look really small. With every step you take towards the canteen, the dull roar of lively chatter gets louder and louder. It was a vigorous place and at the same times a gentle one. There, no matter what rank are you, you can dine out together. Yuu grabbed one chocolate bread from bread-and-side-dishes corner, he walks past the window where so many adult ordering special menu for today's lunch. At the very end of the line, where they'd price out the items on your tray or hand and ring you up.

He paid for the bread and left the queue. There were a number of long tables repurposed to function as a bar-style seats, as well as some two-and four-person booths. Yuu quickly survey the canteen, and spot the person who called him this morning.

"What's the occasion, Yuu-san? We don't usually meet in the canteen. I thought you hate this place because you may look so miserable by eating alone in the corner."

"Thank you for always looking after me."

"I am your supervisor after all."

Yuu sits down across from Shinoa. She had a plate of meat doria and fruit salad on her tray. Shinoa looked at Yuu glumly.

"By the way I often saw you brought your cute packed lunch to the toilet. Are you that eater-of-lunch-on-the-toilet, Yuu-san?"

"Stop right there! What the hell is 'eater-of-lunch-on-the-toilet'! I've never brought my lunch to toilet."

"Are you sure? So you have friends to eat lunch together, then?"

Yup. She's a demon. She may look like an ordinary girl, but she's a true demon.

"… Aren't we friends, Shinoa?"

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"AREN'T WE FRIENDS, HIIRAGI SHINOA?"

"Oh wow… calm down, Yuu-san. Control yourself. Loud conversations are frowned upon in the canteen. And by the way, if you aren't sure whether or not you're friends with someone, doesn't that mean that you aren't really friends with them? Accordingly, I ought to have a billion friends."

The first part is actually made sense, while the second part did not.

"Friend is quality over quantity, don't you know that?"

"Say the one who can't make any friends on his academy days."

"Shut up."

"So, you only have that bread for lunch?"

"Well, I left my packed lunch today, so I guess I have a lot of food in my apartment today. If nothing serious happens, I guess bread is enough."

"Associate Special Class Ichinose told me that I'll be free from my job to supervising you from today."

Yuu froze and look at the girl who just mixing up the strawberries and grapes with mayonnaise in its bowl.

"Is it because… yesterday?"

"I suppose so."

"Is that it? Is that everything you want to tell me?"

"Yup. Are you expecting me to say more than that?"

With a dubious look on her face, Shinoa scoop up her doria then lifted it up to her mouth. That's the same way anyone would eat, but there was a certain elegance to the way she did it. Yuu bite his bread and pressed on, hoping to continue the conversation.

"Surely you didn't ask me to have lunch with you today here just to tell me that?"

"You right, I have something to tell you."

Her expression suddenly changed. The rest of the canteen was lively as ever, but the booth they were sitting at felt somewhat out of sorts.

"It seems that Associate Special Class Ichinose will sign us up to some dangerous case. If you expecting to be Prince then I have to say _sorry we're not doing that one_ , This ghoul called Pinocchio and this case may lead to Sanguinem's group."

"Sanguinem?"

"It is one of huge ghoul organizations as dangerous as Aogiri Tree and Clown. I heard rumors that Prince is part of Sanguinem. Let's do our best and pray that someday they will assign this team to Prince related case so you can take your revenge."

* * *

In a hospital some way away from the noise of the station, the boy quietly watched the sky through a window. There had been a series of slashing event since two days ago. The day that Associate Special Class Ichinose Guren form a new team full of problematic people. Rumors about this team raised a riot on CCG's office the following day, saying that this team will not give anything special except bad news and reputation for business.

The boy— Kimizuki Shihou—stood in a single ward, feeling the breeze through the open window.

"It's cold, _Nii-san_."

Kimizuki did not turn to face the voice behind him, and simply closed the window. "Ah, sorry,"

He was wearing a bitter smile. His eyes ascertained the reflection of the others face in the window.

"You're not even looking at me, am I that disgusting?"

"…"

The silence continued for a stretch of time, before the girl's gentle voice sounded again in the room.

"How's your work lately?"

"… They sign my name to new squad."

Kimizuki looked over, his gaze fraught with complex emotions. The girl on the bed simply sat up, smiling at him. Lot of cord connected to her body to some life-supporting machine that he can't remember the name. Before entering this room the doctor said that his little sister is having another attack and fall into deep sleep for over ten days.

"I guess you will be busier than before."

"Yeah,"

"Can I meet your friends someday?"

"Sure… if we have some day offs I will bring them with me."

The girl— Kimizuki Mirai—said, happily, "Yeay! Can't wait to meet them in person! "

Mirai smiled cheerfully while Kimizuki only looked outside, quietly, once more. From this window on the fourth floor, the entrance to the hospital could be seen easily. With sharp eyesight, one could even distinguish the looks and dressing of the visitors. If one observed the outside frequently, it was entirely possible to have known of their visits, and making Kimizuki have no reason for standing in front gate anymore.

Mirai's smile remained unchanged, and she spoke to Kimizuki, who was deep in these thoughts.

"Nii-san, you can abandon me on that place if you want, you know?" She tilted her head slightly, her neck pale-white skinned, and let her wavy red hair sway lightly and add, quietly, "It make no difference if I die or alive."

"Okay, stop. Mirai, just stop, I can't leave you there. Those monsters will eat you up! You're my only family now, and I swear I will find a way to make you live normally."

"If that's true, why do you still ignoring and standing in front gate when you can simply waltz into my room?"

Kimizuki made as to reply, but Mirai interrupted as though to stop him, "Be a good brother for me and kill me, here, right now."

Kimizuki kept his silence. Reflected in the glass, his little sister's smile was truly gentle, but other than her lips the rest of her face was still, as if she had grown too used to making this smile.

"Sorry. I'll be going."

Kimizuki excused himself evasively, raising a hand to Mirai slightly, and headed for the outside. Mirai spoke to his back, her voice filled with slightly more emotion than before.

"You're so cruel, _Nii-san_."

The boy unwaveringly reached his hand towards the door as if he's not listening to the girl's words. Probably he heard what she was saying many, many times already. Entirely heed of her words, he focused only on walking out.

Later, he found Yoichi sits on the chair not far from Mirai's room, he suddenly stood up and give Kimizuki one of canned soda. Before he can open his mouth to ask if Yoichi waiting for him, he notices someone standing behind the shorter boy and raised his eyes to meet a pair of vibrant green eyes looking at him with certain awkwardness.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying hard to put so much venom into his words.

"I met Yoichi on my way back home… I just want to tell you guys that tomorrow we will have some meeting…. So, yeah… sorry I overheard your conversation with your sister…. It happens accidentally… and um…"

"Not so familiar to give apologize, huh?"

"Well, should we head to station together?" Asked Yoichi with a bright smile on his face, and somehow Kimizuki can say no to that face.

When they got outside the building, they can see all kinds of people on the street, working class, young part-timers, high school boys and girls, and foreigners. Even so, the people did not mingle fully and the people gathered with those of the same race, as if each group had their own territory. Checking the time over his watch Kimizuki let out a sigh, it is almost a peak time when the number of people going home from school and work. The three of them had unknowingly reached a large road, cars zipped across the multi-lane roadway in an endless stream, and if the red light blaze up a mass number of people would fill up the road and look like a huge colony of ants if you look it from above.

Well, it is District 13—Shibuya—after all.

As the three boys waited for the traffic lights to turn green, Yoichi noticed Yuu turned back to look back at the way they came, and muttered to himself, "So she really stop following me."

"Hm?" Yoichi asked as he noticed Yuu let out a loud sigh.

It was very obvious that Yuu was talking to himself, but somehow Yoichi couldn't help but try to find out if something bothering him.

"Ah! Nothing! It's just… you know, Guren makes Shinoa following me this past two weeks, so it's really weird for not seeing her figure walking behind me."

Seeing that Yuu had no intention of saying more, Yoichi decided not to pry—but suddenly Kimizuki opened his mouth.

"Pfft. It seems someone missing his supervisor already."

"Haah? What are you trying to say, telephone pole?"

"Will you try to make any problem again and make First-class Hiiragi look after you again?"

"… Can both of you stop fighting?" Unfortunately, Yoichi's voice doesn't reach them.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

"You do look like some bad kid that strives for everyone's attention, should I look after you instead, Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou- _san_?"

It seems impossible to stop their fight and so Yoichi decide to take one step back and watching Yuu and Kimizuki yelling at each other. They even make some nickname like _BakaYuu_ , and _Telephone Pole_ , of course Yoichi sometimes tries to stop them for yelling because it attracts attention and frowned upon people, but they answered his plead with, "SHUT UP!", "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, YOICHI.", "HE'S THE ONE WHO STARTS THIS."

 _Ah, it's impossible_ … Yoichi thinks.

But as they reach the station, the fight slowly cooled down and both teens avoiding by making an eye contact. But suddenly Yuu said in a slow tone, "I heard from Shinoa that we will sign up to Pinocchio's case. Do you guys know anything about it?"

"I have faced it once with my former squad. Pinocchio is a ghoul group consists about three of them, their mask doesn't look like Pinnochio, but I heard they're always changing their mask every time they make an action. Because they can't change the form of kagune too, some investigator started calling them Pinocchio because that habit which looks like they trying to deceive us." Surprisingly, Kimizuki is the one to give an answer.

"They ranked A+." Yoichi adds the information, "And oh… First-class Narumi's squad had exterminated one of Pinocchio's members, the one with black hair. And now, I heard rumors about the purple-haired ghoul with Pinocchio's mask attacking investigator in District 13, it's probably the one that First-class Hiiragi told you about."

"Hmm… is the rank has been updated lately?"

Yuu is the type of people that relatively passively with this kind of topics, but this time, he wanted the details.

"I don't know. I haven't checked." Said Kimizuki, Yoichi give a negative answer with a simple shakes head.

"So… A+ ranked Ghoul with a little information, huh?" Yuu murmured to himself. Sometimes Guren is surely knew how to entertain him.

* * *

"About what _you have done yesterday…_ do you have something to tell me?"

He poured fresh coffee into a ceramic cup and put it on the table in front of Touka and looked at the blonde boy who smiles sheepishly while scratching his cheeks.

"Um… sorry?"

Touka tapping surface of the table with narrowed eyes, and suddenly raised her head to meet a pair of sapphire eyes. "And, you, Shindou, I told you to make sure _this_ bastard not doing anything dangerous or helping any weak ghouls, right?"

"That's right, I apologize for my incompetence." He answered bluntly and then continued, presuming her next question, "But I lost Hide-san after we meet our client, the road was full and I can't even follow his scent. When I found him, he's already with you and that… dead ghoul."

Touka let out a loud sigh and reach her cup for some coffee to clearing up her messed mind for what happened. She already knows that Hide's new hobby is bringing some ghoul to back door begging for her giving them some food. As an example, the one who is standing between them now, Hide said that this ghoul have no place to go, and starved to die—to be exact, try to eat him—and asked Touka if she can let him live with her or on: re's attic. She said yes when she saw this guy only have one eye that turned into Kakugan, it somehow reminds her to someone.

 _I thought I won_ _'_ _t meet any One-eyed again after that day. He even yells at me about he is human and cursing me like someone from the past._

Touka lowered her gaze to meet a pair of caramel eyes that looking back at her with some plead.

"I guess I should let them eat you up to make you understand that our kind is not what you think, and not anyone can hold their hunger enough before I or Shindou came. Not every ghoul is Kaneki, you hear me?"

"Well…. You right, Touka-chan. I have to admit that one."

Hide raised his eyebrows and looked at Touka with a bright smile. The girl lightly nodded.

"Now, let's talk about your friend's behavior." Her cold gaze now locked on the boy who flinched a little.

"You mean… Lacus?" He asked.

"I know he is sad and angry about Renè's death. But avenge is not the answer, trust me, I have done what he's doing right now and it just leads to more death and feeling lost and empty. Could you tell him that for me?"

The boy secretly clicks his tongue and nod.

"Actually, Doves already marked him." Hide suddenly said and make the boy's attention turned into him.

"I'll go and talk to him." He said with a calm voice.

After that talk, he helped Touka closing up café and make his way to where Lacus usually hanging up. Even if he doesn't want to go there anymore, he can't find him anywhere else. He stuck both his hands into pockets, tilted his head back to the very limit and gazed at the starry night sky.

The place where he was heading to is an old-abandoned hospital building that now is a place where most ghoul from district 13 hiding. Especially the underground laboratory that now was one of base of Sanguinem's group. The building itself was located at the end of District 13, almost 300 meters further from it, to be precise. Heading north after entering the hospital front door, he climbed the emergency stairs towards fourth floor that almost lost on his walls.

"Mika-kuuun, you come for visiting me?"

He turned towards the voice and quickly makes some distance.

In front of him was a man with long silver hair and a pair of black-red eyes. There's a trail of blood on his clothes like a proof that he already makes his stomach full. He is Ferid Bathory or what people called Prince.

"Of course not. Is Lacus come here?"

"Aww… you do miss me, so sweet~" He spread his arms in a theatrical way.

"Answer me."

"He's on the rooftop. And actually Krul is searching for you, better meet her before going home if you still want that café become your place to back." Saying this, Ferid grabbed the teen and pressed his cheek. He already put up with this as he pushed the older man, and rubbed his cheeks that make a contact with Ferid's cold skin. He extremely disliked contact with other people and makes a super large distance for personal space. As Ferid make his move to break the personal space again Mika kicks his body and watch as the man falls on the stairs and quickly climbed the stairs.

Reaching the rooftop, he saw a person who had gotten past the safety railing and was standing there stock still, if that person were to take another step forward, gravity would take over and probably send it body hurtling to the ground.

He wants to set this quickly, meet Krul in underground space and go home.

"Lacus.. I have something to talk to you."

"Don't wanna hear." The other replied. It was a certain rejection.

But, he decides to jump over the railing and stood beside him, looking at the scenery of the city from this point of view. "'I know he is sad and angry about Renè's death. But, avenge is not the answer, trust me, I have done what he's doing right now and it just leads us to more death and feeling of lost and empty.' Is what Kirishima-san wants me to tell you,"

"Too bad I don't give a shit about it." Lacus declared in a quiet voice. His eyes were terrifyingly cold.

"Then what should I do to make you stop?" He asked.

The night wind blowing through his pale blonde hair, make its dance as he looks at Lacus who just standing still grabbing at Pinocchio's mask on his left hands.

"Then, Mika, how about you help me a little?" Lacus suddenly turned his head and raised one of his eyebrows.

"Depends on what you say." Mika answered it with a shrug.

"Oh, it's nothing big. I've marked my new target and your job is only making his friends don't come to help. I swear this is the last."

"… Okay."


	4. Pinocchio

The sky was pitch black above him.

He usually notices one or two stars even a moon, but none for today as he sighs and runs down the stairs and making his locks blond hair dance and caressing his face softly. Once he reaches the ground floor as he walks towards the first door on the right side of the lobby and opened it before jump into the metal surface under the floor debris and stand in front of the thick metal door.

Mika thinks that wearing only a black shirt with thin jacket is a big mistake when you can't predict if the temperature will suddenly go down after midnight or not, yet, instead of going through the door, he stands still with his hands tucked into his pockets as he makes up some excuses to not come inside on his mind. He suddenly hears a soft step coming through the door following by a loud thud as a girl kneeling not far from where he stands.

"Oooooh! Hyakuya Mikaela, long time no see, huh?"

Mika's face framed by pale blond hair covered with very gentle waves, accompanied with a somewhat cold look in his eyes and with those very eyes, he looked at the girl who just showed up out of nowhere and babbling non-stop beside him.

A girl who is three years older than him, her height was probably around 160cm or more. Clad in a one-piece dress covered with a thick cardigan, and a bandana over her curled blue hair. She was Chess Belle. Chess apparently really mad with her _boyfriend_ today after their date and ate him alive just because he can't stop talking about her big boobs.

"Pervert, Stupid, this is why you shouldn't have dated a human, and that old-man's taste is horrible—"

But, cutting her off, Mika said. "Hey, Chess... do you remember how angry Crowley had been when he knows you'd been eating your boyfriend alive?"

"Oops… Please make it a secret from him."

"It's not like I would meet him again. I just come here to meet Krul and go home."

"Eeeeeehhhhh!? Going home so soon?" Chess raised her hands to her shocked face, and further added, "At least come to my apartment and play with me…"

Mika just looks at her and deciding not to answer anything as to not make this useless conversation become any longer and heading towards the door. Chess is following not far behind him and trying to make another conversation that is simply ignored by Mika, not long she gives up and played with her hair.

Mika wonders how come he can live here two years ago without going mad. Ghouls who hide here are really out of definition of normal. Some collect their prey dead bodies and exchange it with another dead bodies from their friends and eat it together while debating how its taste, some deceive their prey before eat them up and steal all of the money they may have on their wallet, and some other dating their prey before eating them alive while grinning and laughing like psychotic criminal.

Unfortunately, he is part of them now.

He became living things that can only survive by eating human flesh.

At the end of this dark and narrow corridor is a huge hall made upon metal with hundreds of light bulbs, there's more corridor lead to another hall or where other Ghoul hiding besides on the surface. Mika must narrow his eyes to adjust a sudden light came from this very capacious hall and found a slender girl standing in the center of the hall. Her ashen hair was swaying as she looks at him, a pair of bloody-red eye and a faint smile making him had to hold an urge to run away.

"Hyakuya Mikaela… what a surprise." She said. Her voice is as pure as the sound of the bell.

"…Hiiragi Mahiru-san." Mika muttered as he walks towards the girl.

Hiiragi Mahiru has beautiful long ashen hair and dignified, resolute eyes. Even though she already reach 20's her face still look like a teenager, with an expression which best described as cold as ice, she did not appear cold at all but gentle, and graceful. It was understandable if others would want to call her a goddess.

"I'm really surprised you came." The girl said as she extended her hand to grab both Mika's hand and caressing the back of it slowly as if she transferring her temperature to his cold hands.

"... Sorry.."

Truth is, for Mika, Hiiragi Mahiru is a really godlike figure. She is the one who saved his life, yet she is the one who turned him towards the hell and make him continue living as a Ghoul—or what she said, Half-Ghoul. He still remember waking up and realizing he can't eat his favorite curry, the taste and texture of rice changed and it tastes so bad and making him puke. There's no normal food that tastes good on his tongue, he cried, screamed, and cursing anyone that comes to his room by bringing him some _food_.

The hunger is torturing him. It hurts as his head can't stop pounding. Mika can feel his unstable heartbeat jolting up when he smells a sweet scent coming after the tray they brought, he saw a slight reflection from the metal surface that one of his eyes always changing into black and red color every time the tray come in and he cried once again. After some weeks locking himself up in his room Mika ran away from the building and found himself trying to eat a man and knocked out by someone. Then, he wakes up in an unfamiliar room and noticed a girl with short blue hair and her bangs concealing her right eye. When the girl showing her both black-red color eyes—Kakugan—and notice Mika's left eye is changing into one too, they had a long fight and Mika still remember he called her a monster and insist that he is human.

"There is no human who had that eye. I've met one of your kind before, you are no longer human… a part of you is us—Ghoul. And you can't come back no matter how hard you cried and plead. You must notice that too by now, you attack Hide, trying to eat him up, kid. Ghoul's starvation is hell, and a brat like you can hold it any longer than three days. Am I right?"

That is how Mika met Kirishima Touka and Hide-san.

Then, he was forced to eat a raw of flesh that tastes sweet with a slight sour from the blood in his mouth. It also tastes like a burger steak from the restaurant he usually comes with Yuu and it makes his tears flowing down to his cheek, and can't stop sobbing while eating his first meal as a monster.

He can't come back now. He can't face his family now, not with this body.

"How's your body? Is there anything wrong? You feel pain?" Hiiragi Mahiru asked with a soft tone cutting up Mika's train of thought.

"I'm fine. It's just…. Ferid told me that Krul is searching for me… so…"

"It's not Krul… It's me." She said with a smile spreading on her face.

".. Is there anything I could… do for you?" Mika asked carefully as to not make she's mad or angry.

"I just miss you so much. And as you know I can't leave this place, so I want you to come and meet me. "

That's not it. Mika really knows that's not what Hiiragi Mahiru meant. Last time he came to see her is the time when she make Mika swear to be loyal to her and Krul. Obey everything that they told him to do. As an example, two years ago they made Mika be friend with Renè and Lacus and doing some dirty job like killing investigators, Ghouls or become Crowley Eusford's servant for about a month.

"Actually, I have something to tell you."

"Is that an order?" Mika asked, looking straight into those red eyes of hers.

Mahiru is still smiling and suddenly let go Mika's hand and said, "Do you know that your brother is still alive? I mean that Hyakuya Yuuichirou."

Mika felt his blood was leaving his face after he heard Mahiru's words. He felt a sudden impulse to inquire if she orders him to kill Yuu or maybe kidnap him for her experimentation.

Mahiru let out a long sigh, "I won't make you kill your only one family if that's what you think. What I want you to do is save him from my family's hand." She resumed.

Mika could only clutch a part of his long jacket's sleeve after hearing her statement.

"He is a dove and working under Hiiragi's department, to be exact he is Ichinose Guren's subordinate. And you know, he is born as a Seraph just like you, Mikaela."

Uncertain how to answer Mika could only stay silent.

"Do you know what Seraph is?"

Mika shook his head for an answer.

"You know, the only way to know if someone is a Ghoul or Human is from an RC cell test, and Seraph is a disorder when a child born with an RC cell level that is high enough to make anyone confused if they're human or Ghoul. Well, the chance of it is only 1 of 1 billion cases, it is almost impossible to find people with Seraph gene. The only one who believed Seraph is exists and can _make_ them is Hyakuya church, or some people call it with Hyakuya orphanage." Mahiru stops as seeing Mika's eyes widening before continuing, "You and Yuuichirou is a natural born Seraph, while the others are the guinea pig. Most of them died after turning into Ghoul or Half-Ghoul because their body can't adapt to a new organ or a gene that flowing in their body. But you and Yuuichirou is a special one, even if they found Kakuhou on your body it's on passive condition that allows you to eat normal food. But that night you activate your Kakuhou, obtaining your Kagune and become a half-ghoul. At first I assumed you will die after one or two weeks, but look at you now…" She suddenly hugged Mika and resting her head on Mika's shoulder.

"It's just a matter of time for Yuuichirou's Kakuhou to active… and it might be faster than you thought it may be. Before it's too late, you must save him, Mikaela."

"Yuu-chan… is Yuu-chan is going to be like me?"

"You don't want that, right? So save him… save him from those filthy humans."

* * *

"Found you, Guren."

Guren scowled at the voice coming from his let-open-door. A man with silver hair entered the room with lots of paper in his hand. He is smiling as he walked towards his table and placed the stack of paper in front of him.

"Documents from meeting you skipped today. And I also found something on Kureto- _nii_ 's room." His smile is just too bright for what he said next, "It's something about the case that you always wanted to know and Hiiragi's next human experimentation plans."

But Guren shook his head.

"If something happen, I bet you would say I told you to bring all of these so your super nice brother will beat me up, I'm not that stupid you bastard."

"Ah-hahaaa… that's cruel of you, Guren."

"I have enough with your show. Just get out and don't forget to close the door, please. Don't want to? Then what's your purpose for coming here?"

The man just shrugged his shoulder and turning back to close the door before coming back, now with a serious expression. "Well then, you must stop with your bad acting. _For you_ , I have brought the document about Hyakuya Church too."

"Hyakuya Church..?"

Guren murmured, and narrowed his eyes on hearing that name.

An ordinary folk were unaware of this, but Hyakuya Church is a large organization that could be said to have supported Japan from the shadows. CCG is one of many organizations having received aid from it. Throughout the ages, Hyakuya Church and Hiiragi house are the one to determine who would become the backer of the ruling power. Rumor had it that they would do anything to acquire power and influence such as; murdering, kidnapping, and human experimentation. As example, after killing the parents, the children were then assembled in the orphanages and terrible experiments were conducted on them repeatedly.

"I'm not interested." Guren said, standing up from his chair and stuck his both hands in the pocket.

"Haha… you're such a bad liar, Guren."

"What now? Shinya, don't tell me you just want to test my loyalty upon this company?"

But the man—Hiiragi Shinya put a wide smile then said.

"Hyakuya Yuuichirou… he is from Hyakuya orphanages, isn't he?"

"So what?"

"No offense meant, but are you that stupid?"

Guren cut him off, "I know where it leads. You want to say that he is Hyakuya Church's guinea pig."

Shinya looked hard at Guren and said, "Smart enough, but do you know why Prince attacked Hyakuya Orphanage? Some of Hiiragi's Intel assumed that ghoul is already known what they experimented there."

Guren then grinned and replied.

"It is Seraph. They want to destroy and murder all the guinea pig, also give a huge warning to the organization to stop. And Prince is under the name of Sanguinem, a huge ghoul organization that will do anything to destroy human plans to develop."

"Nice answer." Shinya is still smiling while open some page of paper he put on Guren's table and showing the man one profile. "This is Hyakuya Mikaela, one of the kids from the orphanage." After that he opened the newest data about people who lived in district 13, "And this is Shindou Mikaela."

"…."

"Do you really think Hyakuya Yuuichirou is the only one surviving on the Prince's case that day?"

Guren fell silent as he locked his gaze to both profiles. The photo has the exact same face and first name. Besides the two the other else is may be under disguise or something, this kid is probably hiding from something that would come up to kill or catch him.

At that moment, Shinya's initial relaxed attitude disappeared from his face.

"Guren… where is the last time you saw Mahiru?"

Guren raised his gaze and met a pair of icy blue eyes looking back at him. He remembers Mahiru's smile that day as she handed her quinque and gave him a kiss of good-bye before disappearing right in front of his eyes just like a ghost.

 _"_ _This world is wrong, Guren. I think this is the only way I would make it better. This is the only way to destroy my family—the Hiiragis house."_

At that moment, a voice sounded from the entrance.

"I heard you called me, Associate Special Class Ichinose."

It was the voice of Shinoa.

"Oh, Shinoa… give me your report." He exchanges glace with Shinya who raised his fingers and perform a sign that he would shut his mouth for now, then, Guren strained his neck to see the lilac-haired girl who stands with hands folding on her back.

"Yes. I think we already close enough to engaging the real battle. Yesterday, I saw Rank 2 Kimizuki Shihou and Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou had a very tight match about who is the one who will put on the front lines when I clearly say that both of them are on the front lines, while Rank 1 Sanguu Mitsuba is trying to kill me for calling her _Good for nothing._ "

Guren just face palm after hearing the whole report. "I know I made a mistake of making you a leader."

Shinoa is giggling and continue, "But, we manage to do some train and they do it so well, they do have a good rhyme when it comes to teamwork and protecting others. But they hate to lose to each other and going into another fight because of that."

"Do you make an effort to stop the fight?" Ask Guren.

"Oh yes. But they never listen to my voice until I activate my quinque and threatened the three. Oh.. Rank 3 Saotome Yoichi had a really unique quinque, it almost looks like a bow. Is that one of Hiiragi's collection or Ichinose's?"

"It is none of your business. Well, you guys want a mission? Tell them to go to my room at 6 o'clock, if some or all of you did is because you're not training enough."

"Is it the Pinocchio?" Shinoa asked, surprisingly with a serious expression.

"Yeah. I'll tell you for the detail, tomorrow. Now, dismiss."

Then the girl gives him a polite bow before turning back and open the huge door, but Shinoa suddenly looked back from her shoulder with a wide grin on her face then said, "That was fast, Associate Special Class Ichinose. Did I disturb your mood to have some se—"

"GET OUT FROM MY ROOM!"

* * *

Somewhere, at District 11.

The boots met flesh with the sound of a soft, cracking noise. The woman was spun in half-circle midair and flew overhead in a distorted arc. Though she was concussed by the time the side of her body hit the ground, her limbs still flailed in panic. It was bitingly cold and her body was numb, so she could barely feel the chill of the concrete. It was like her living in some kind of nightmare.

There are two ghouls probably ranked A or S, and she is alone to fight them. While the other with his Pinocchio's mask killing remaining investigator from another squad that coming with her tonight, she saw another one with a pure white mask that looks like an armor protecting upper-half of his face walking towards her.

The ghoul was probably a man wearing a black T-shirt with a long jacket that almost reach his knees with black jeans and sneakers. He looks like a normal teenager with a light blond hair except the mask and a pale blue kagune that looks like a thorn coming out from the back of his shoulder. She saw as the Kagune spread and making it look like a real wing and ready to attack her defenseless body with its sharp edges.

Ironically, she found the form of this Ghoul's kagune is beautiful as he kneels beside her and stole all of hidden knife quinque from her coat. The woman observed the ghoul with a look contorted by fear.

"Just kill me! KILL ME!"

For a Ghoul Investigator this kind of ambush must not completely mind-blowing. She and her colleagues had only desired a normal workday as only investigating not met a pair of dangerous ghoul.

Firstly, one of them saw a teenager was passing then they saw one ghoul blocking their way with his Bikaku-type Kagune. As they preparing to engage battle and jump into formation a half of them died with a sudden rain RC cell's crystal from above and they found an Ukaku-type Ghoul standing at the top of road-lamp. Not even a minute passed after the first attack and She—Aihara found her colleagues died with fresh blood spreading bellow their dead bodies.

"Play dead. Answer my question." The ghoul demanded in cold voice as he looking back to Pinocchio who is having fun with his prey. "Do you know an Investigator called Hyakuya Yuuichirou? Is he working on this District?"

"Torture me as much as you want, but I won't—" She choked and as the ghoul's hand grabbing her throat, adding some pressure as trying to prove that he will kill her if it's not benefiting him. "Tell…. you…. a…. thing."

In a blink of eye she heard a sound of cracking coming from her throat, as her vision turned into all black.

"Oi, Mika, what are you doing?" Lacus asked as he opens up his mask. "Is she already dead?"

Mika slowly stands and also open his mask too, meeting a pair of black-red eyes as he is releasing his Kagune and playing with Knife form quinque on his fingers, "You said this is the last. Now, should we head back home?"

"I heard something from those guys that Doves in District 13 is searching for me. And apparently, it is a bad idea of coming back right now. Well, if you want to go home just go for all I care. I'll stay."

"There's nothing you can obtain by staying here." Mika said, adding some concern to his tone.

Lacus put a large grin on his face and ruffle younger ghoul's hair.

"I'm fine. I'll be back next week if you that worry. I just need to make them believe that I've stayed here before going back, I don't want to put Kirishima-san much trouble and be careful if you meeting Investigator with Hide-san."

Mika gives him one nod as he saw the purple-haired man jump into one abandoned building before disappeared before the dark sky. Mika looked up and let out a long sigh as to meet a starless sky and walk towards the bag he had left, changing his bloodstained clothes with the fresh one and add cologne just to make sure no one notice a faint smell of blood from him. He throws the bag to a large amount of trash bag on his way to the station.

He waits for the first train thinking of some way to find Yuu-chan and save him. First, the only information he got is that Yuu-chan is still alive, a working as Ghoul Investigator. Hiiragi Mahiru didn't tell him the exact District, where they put him to work. His train of thoughts stopped as he heard a soft voice calling for him. He took a glance to his side and found a girl with a slight-wave pale purple hair standing beside him, she had a large luggage on her side. _Running from home_? Mika thinks.

"May I know what time is it?" She asked.

"Uh.. Sorry, I don't bring my phone and watch. But the first train would come in a minute." He said.

"Thank you." She gave him a slight smile before continuing, "I'm not running from my home."

Mika looked at the girl with a clear shock, is she read his mind?

"I think it would be better if I lived in District 13 after destroying my sister's mansion and make myself, I have no place to go." She adds while looking back at him. Her rose eyes, the aura, thin lips and cold expression remind him for someone. And suddenly Mika smells a faint of oil and burned fabric, he ignores the urge to ask and strayed his eyes to find anything else as to distract his thoughts when he found a black smoke from the north side of town. His sharpen hearing also catch a sound of police's and firefighter's siren from afar.

The girl beside him is standing still and looking in the same direction as murmured, "I hope there is no victim." And those rose-eyes looked at him as she put a small smile and put her index-finger on her lips.

* * *

I saw a horrible, unpleasant dream, a dream where you disappeared right in front of my eyes.

I've seen this dream again and again, this was all a dream I saw yesterday, today and maybe tomorrow. I wonder how many times it was today or yesterday, I don't know if there is tomorrow after this day ended. This may be the first time for you, but I don't know how many times it's been for me. No matter how hard I told you about this before, and even if you believed me you always die in the end.

Your sad face makes me stop holding you back before entering the building, because I know I'm fine already. It's alright as long as I can hear you talk. Though, because you would talk about the same thing each time, and I've already remembered every phrase and word to word.

"I will go first. You stay here and call the police or anything if I don't come back in five minutes."

"Okay..." I muttered to myself while looking at the reassuring smile on your face.

Maybe this is the reason why you so popular among girls in our class. You look like an old photograph with all black and white with some hues of gray. Your soft locks of blond hair look like a halo framing a pale of your milky-skin.

"Yuu-chan?" It's hard to admit that I liked the way you say my name. As I looked up I met with a pair of crystal sapphire eyes look at me with some concern inside it.

Well, it's about the time, so I'll leave it at this.

"Wha…What the hell—Mika, I come with you."

"No. Stay. Here."

And the same scenario happens. I can't say no to this bad end, and let my tears fall down to my cheeks, listening to sound of your screaming in pain behind that door.

Mika, why it have to be ended like this?


	5. Stray Path for Coming Home

I wonder when the beginning was. I mean the original beginning.

If I remember correctly that day, Mika was helping me to study for Math Quiz on next week and then we hurried and even running all the way home, that was the first time I hold Mika's hand. Well, that's not the real point though. Then I saw a man holding Mika by his collar and throw him to the corner of our room, he has a very long and silk silver hair, plus hideous smile. Blood is covering Mika's body and he's saying something that doesn't reach my ears.

I wonder what he did say before the door slamming before my eyes... well, whatever.

Now that I think about it, I wonder why Mika isn't here now. The seat where Mika should sit at was empty but his book, bag and pencils are on the table in the right same position. Am I always alone like this? I feel like there has, but at the same time don't.

The most surprising one is the world outside this cafe is noon. Well, inside of the dream that keeps repeating over and over, it should be night or maybe twilight. I wander my eyes as I found a boy sitting at cashier table with a very long black hair.

"Hey."

"Huh? Who are you? Where's Mika?"

The boy smiled and jump from the cashier to the tiled floor, his white cloth dance as he come closer and sat at the edge of table near my table. "...He's already dead, isn't he?"

"...But.."

"Yes. This is a dream, and he should be here and face his death. But you did nothing to stop him or making a new scenario to save him."

"..."

"I see. Well, do you want to see him?"

"...Of course, I do."

"Hmm... Then it'll definitely be fine."

"... But he is dead." Surprisingly the word isn't as hard as I always think, the boy gives me a mocking smirk and lean forward until I can feel his long bangs touching my face.

"Why become so pessimistic, Yuu? What if he still alive? What if he really wants to meet you?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Are you afraid of meeting him in person and real life?"

"I..."

* * *

Yuu almost curse at his guest.

It's literally midnight, he is alone in his apartment, far from his phone to make a call for help or suggest —he think again and decide that calling his only one contact on phone aka Guren will add more problem so he cancel that one .

He decides to not breaking rules anymore like following squads and kill the ghoul for them, and maybe getting along with his new team member. And Yuu had always known that after Guren form this team CCG was keeping a close eye on him and the others because of his history and else. He even knows that his quinque is just another prototype and its existence is like a double-edged sword to the commission. So, he thinks he doesn't deserve this.

His respective leader, the girl had killed S ranked ghoul with rank B weapon with A capital for alone, and the strongest person number two after Guren is standing in front of his apartment with a huge luggage on her side.

"Good morning, Yuu-san. You look... terrible as always, " She said, spreading a sweet smile.

"Of course I am its fucking 3 A.M."

"Language. I'm technically your boss."

"Whatever. What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, I should know that your little brain can't work properly at the sudden mess right now, I think it's obvious, but let me explain it to you just in case you don't understand this situation. I just burned down my home. So I don't have a place to go and I know you have an extra bedroom. Long short story, can I live here for —no, I mean. It's an order. Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou, I'll live here until I found a new apartment."

"Aah.. I see, you—wait, WHAT?!" Yuu can't help but raised his voice hearing the news even Shinoa put her hands on his lip to make him quiet.

"Is that really something to be surprised at? Yuu-san, this is messed up world —" Before she can even finish her sentence Yuu grab Shinoa's wrist and cut her off with, "You are the messed up one here. Goddamn Shinoa, what are you thinking?"

"Can you lower your voice a little bit? You're so noisy." Shinoa said as let go her hands from Yuu's tight grip and notice a slight blush on the boy face probably realize what he is doing before. Her grin seems almost too wide.

Wordlessly, Yuu moves to close the door. "Okay, sorry, I'm joking. Can I come in?" The girl manages to jam her foot between the wooden panel and its frame before she's shut out. Yuu lets out a long sigh and open the door again, letting Shinoa steps in.

"Actually, I owe you one. I don't want to say it in details, but thanks." Said Yuu as he carried the luggage in and put it in the living room and turn on the lights. Shinoa sit on the couch and reaching a remote TV just to turn it on, switch it from channel to channel, and turn the TV off again.

"Hmmm... " The girl looked at Yuu and smiles even wider than before. "Good thing I've come and help you."

"Yeah... uhh... thanks.." Yuu said and scratching his cheek with a finger. "But no thanks to you for making me not in the mood to go back sleep."

Shinoa let out soft chuckles before proceeds to search for something in her pockets. "Actually," she says, pulling out her phone probably checking the schedule. "We will have a meeting in Associate Special Class room at 6."

"Is that for the mission? Okay."

"I found some mysterious document on my sister's apartment, I know Hiiragi would want all of that so after I memorize all of them I burn it along with the mansion. And the shocking news is there is something about the Hyakuya Orphanage in there." She said with a monotone voice while playing with her phone.

"Eh —you found something about my orphanage?" Yuu asks and though his eagerness may make the girl mad or tease him, he doesn't fell any sense of danger coming from his response. Instead, Shinoa cold expression made him know this will lead to something bad. She grabs Yuu's hand and pulls him to sit beside her.

"Actually, your orphanage is receiving aid from Sanguinem, and its employee, all of them is a positive ghoul. But they don't raise you to become a meal, but put experimentation. The paper not mention what for but it obviously a human experimentation for something that benefiting Ghoul." Shinoa continue and keep her gaze to the phone screen.

"You said that Prince is part of Sanguinem. Why he kill most of our children, even Mika...?" He ask and looking back and forth to the screen and the girl face.

Shinoa simply raises an eyebrow and look at him with a mocking smirk.

"Do you really think the corpse is really a member of _your special family_?" She inquires and Yuu guesses she's right. He had no time to check the corpse one by one that day.

"I'm not the right person to make a theory, and if we ask Guren he may take all the information from you and give you false one as a reply."

"Oh my… You're wiser than you seem, Yuu-san. I was fully expecting some buffoon to come up with something crude like 'Yeah! Let's ask Guren for the next episode, and kill that Prince bastard right now!"

"You were definitely imagining me as some moron, weren't you?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter either way."

Shinoa dismissed the conversation so easy if it's no longer fun to talk about. This always happens, so Yuu didn't really care. Shinoa walk past him and pull her luggage to another room across Yuu's bedroom and before she closed the door, she looks at Yuu, who just sit around and smile, "Good night, Yuu-san."

* * *

Three hours later at meeting room.

After all the problem, Yuu can't sleep and force himself to watch some midnight TV-Program and when he hears his alarm turned on at 5:15, Shinoa come out from her room with towels around her neck. She just wears a black tank-top and shorts that make Yuu gulps. Of course gulping made Shinoa giggling and can't stop teasing and mocking him all the way to the office. Also that is the first time he saw Shinoa without formal and long-sleeved clothes and he noticed her exposed body and revealed what looked like countless scars.

While he was busy pondering these matters, he hears someone behind him.

"Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou."

"...Rank 1 Sanguu Mitsuba."

As Yuu look at her, he stands himself and give her a polite bow before going back to sit. Mitsuba sit beside him and put all of the document she brought to the table and folding her hands upon it. Yuu didn't bring anything with him because it is the first time he works in the actual case so he doesn't have anything except information from Kimizuki and Yoichi on his head. Shinoa just leave the room before Mitsuba come for something urgently while Kimizuki and Yoichi is copying their document for today meeting.

As he had nothing to do, Yuu travels his eyes to the girl. Naturally, if someone not familiar with her, it seemed everyone would think Mitsuba is just another normal highschool girl with a strange bright yellow hair. Mitsuba look harmless and her straight expression is far from the furry one she always gave to Shinoa.

"Hyakuya, what are you looking at?"

"Ah.. um.. Sorry." Yuu said and quickly lower his gaze.

This is the first time Yuu leave alone with a girl in the meeting room, of course in this case Shinoa excluded. Mitsuba keep on staring at him, and so Yuu figured he must say something. He remembered the day before that Mitsuba said he could call her without a lot of honorifics even at work.

"Sanguu...san."

"What?"

"Are you close with Shinoa?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she shot back, suspiciously.

"Well, you did call her by first name several times before. So I thought you and her are... maybe a friend?"

"Hell no, But we were in the same class at the academy but she graduates first because Hiiragi's house wants it to be like that. I heard rumor about her sister doing an experiment on her, but everyone who spread the rumor is kicked out of the academy so no one dare to bad mouthing her ever again. Beside that I know nothing."

She is drumming her fingers at the top of the table as her violet eyes turn its gaze to the entrance door as if waiting someone come and end her time alone with Yuu. Mitsuba is a nice girl she isn't rude or anything but her tongue is too sharp for a normal person.

"I'm not really close with Shinoa. She doesn't type that's easy to be friend at so I'm surprised you can speak casually to her despite she is Hiiragi. Well, I guess it's proving that something wrong with your head." She continued as let her gaze back to Yuu and he can clearly notice a smirk on her face.

"Yeah.. yeah... thank you for your information."

"But you must pay attention to your action towards her. She is Hiiragi, don't forget that."

There is something dangerous about Mitsuba all of a sudden. It was as if an ordinary girl had changed into a real investigator in that instant. Small talk was one thing, but it will be no mean feat to get any information about Shinoa, and hearing Mitsuba's answer she may don't know anything about the scar he saw this morning. Yuu lets out a sigh as the door opened and Shinoa walk in with Kimizuki and Yoichi. She looks at Yuu and smile at him before choose to sit beside Mitsuba.

"Good morning, Micchan."

"Stop calling me that."

Mitsuba really have a special tone when speak with Shinoa, it is full of venom and a clear sign that she hates her with all her life.

"How rude, you should say _Good morning_ too to me,"

"I have no obligation to do that."

"Well, that is Sanguu for you. You even shut me out in when I needed help the most, and because of that I have to sleep in Yuu-san apartment. Can you imagine that? Me, a lady had to sleep in _Yuu_ 's house?"

"...You're the one who gave me order, idiot." Yuu blurts out as hearing his name.

"I can't sleep at night thinking that Yuu-san slip into my room and —"

"STOP RIGHT THERE. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BREAKING IN."

"But I'm a lady and you're just a desperate boy... You just open the door and let me in with an expression as if I am your prey or something. I don't know if you are gay or not, so I'm afraid that you suddenly losing your mind and maybe rape me."

"WHAT THE FUCK! I WON'T DO THAT."

"So, you're exclaiming that you're gay?"

"SHINOA!"

Yuu could kill her right here and right now as Shinoa pull out canny expression on her face as the sign that he already fell on her trap. Yuu suddenly lost his feel to heckling her anymore since he was the one who make a wrong move so he decides to shut his mouth up and let Shinoa win this.

"Do you really sleep in his apartment?" Mitsuba suddenly ask and face Shinoa with pure concern on her face.

"So Micchan has really cared about me. Yes,"

"You know, you can sleep in every mansion that your family has."

"Correct. But I won't do that. Most of them are too far from here and it's not like everyone can enter the mansion, anyway."

Mitsuba stop keeping the conversation up and the room fell into absolute silence.

"Can I ask some question?" Yoichi blurts out.

"Go ahead." Mitsuba is the one who replied while Shinoa busy checking her nail.

"Are we going to help another squad in this case?"

Mitsuba looks at Shinoa who straight her back and folding her hands on the table. She looks like she has been thinking about something for a while, before she eventually replied.

"Well, the squad we _should_ help is annihilated by Pinocchio in District 11. Associate Special Class Ichinose is now considering are we capable of handling this case alone or become an assistance from another squad with more experience that will sign up to this case for replacing Aihara's squad."

"The one who killed one of Pinocchio's is Narumi squad right? So, we'll help them or what?" Yuu asked.

"According to Associate Special Class Hiiragi, Narumi squad is in district 20 for a next raid there. The higher possibility is, maybe we will handle this case alone." Mitsuba explain while checking at her document for sure.

"Isn't Pinocchio lives in District 13? And why is Aihara squad is in District 11 if they assigned to this case?" Kimizuki suddenly open his mouth.

"Apparently, if there's nothing wrong, they should be here at 3 p.m. as they finish their job for small cases in district 11." Shinoa replied immediately after check document that Mitsuba brought with her and look at Kimizuki with a gentle smile. "You should ask Associate Special Class Ichinose for more details as I don't know anything about it."

"In that case, I have just one last question. Why Pinocchio suddenly appear in District 11 and killed Aihara's squad there when he can do it here?"

"…Interesting question, brat."

The door cracked open and Guren comes in as the whole squad stand and bow to him. He sat in the biggest chair in the other side of long table and flipping document on his hand as two girls with brown and black hair walks in and distributing some copies to Yuu and others before stand in both side of Guren's chair. Yuu only remember the brown-haired girl name —Hanayori Sayuri, she is his homeroom teacher on the academy.

"The motive is still vague and Pinocchio's ranked is raised from A to S rank as he killed Aihara squad and Tomoki squad in one night. Pinocchio is working alone, but sometimes he has an assistance with Ukaku type kagune as his back-up and its rank is unknown, probably A."

"The hunt area is messed up one, and he never harmed civilians?" Mitsuba broke a short silence after Guren's explanation.

"He likes to move around, huh?" Kimizuki give his opinions.

"He only harm investigator, is he avenges his friend? But, it's meaningless if it's not on the right person, right? Pursuing Narumi squad is the fastest way." Yuu opens his mouth and make Shinoa let out soft chuckles.

"I thought I already told you... it doesn't matter to them who is who as long as we're an investigator they will come to us give a terror as if he will and can kill all of us. That's a classic one, Yuu-san, are you really graduating from the academy?"

Ah... right. Yuu sulked a bit.

"The ukaku ghoul... there's no information about him except his kagune type and rank." Yoichi exclaims as he opens the page more as to find other information.

"It is because he's the type that never attracts our attention. His movement is smooth as we never found his hunt area or maybe he hunts in another district and make a record with different alias to live safe and sound somewhere and come here to do his job. We don't know how dangerous this one is, so be careful." Guren said and let his gaze travel to his subordinate, waiting for a response or question regarding this case.

"The first thing is to gather information and make sure you know half of the enemy's card on its sleeve before facing him. This may be rough for a new squad like you all but I know you can do this smoothly. One advice from me, _stay alive and run if you think you can't win the game._ That's all."

Then, Guren closes the meeting as there is no other question and dismissed the team except Shinoa as he had something to ask her. Yuu guessed, is something about her apartment and quickly leave the room, he doesn't want to know everything that comes out from Shinoa's mouth and distract his attention as asking others to eat lunch together. Surprisingly, everyone says yes.

"I just have one thing to ask you. Are you out of your mind?"

Guren asks as he raises his voice and hands smash the surface of the table as he stand up and look at Shinoa with a death glare. Normal people will immediately apologize to him over and over, but that kind only makes him more irritated, but Hiiragi Shinoa stand in her place with a straight expression on her face.

"I think I made a right decision to burn the mansion."Shinoa said with a empty tone and look at Guren with cold stare, "That is my prison after all,"

Guren takes one deep breaths and turned his eyes to Shigure who stand still and order her and Sayuri to wait outside. This thing need a really private condition even his loyal servant can't hear this topic, after the girls out the room Guren walk pass the room and sit in chair in front of Shinoa.

"I've been watching you for the past six years and I really know you won't do something like this unless you think it may be dangerous for you, your friend or me. Then, what did you find there?"

"Ahahaha," Shinoa laughs in delight. "No, but, I'd really love to share my information with you Ichinose Guren- _sama_."

"You still can't believe in me, huh."

"Well, well, for someone who really loves Special class Hiiragi Mahiru I can't say I can share this knowledge to you." Shinoa said as cock her head to mock Guren but the man just furrowed his brow together.

"I guess it can't be helped. What do you want to know then?" Guren asks the girl and fold his hand on his chest.

"Is Hyakuya Mikaela really died that day?"

Guren looked at Shinoa, grinned and said, "Hoo~ why?"

"I thought I have heard his name before this, and I vaguely remember meeting someone who looks like the one on the file that Shinya-nii san brought to your room the other day."

Guren raised one his brow and shrug his shoulder, "I have no idea. But the face is indeed look alike. Why don't you confirm this with your own eyes?"

Shinoa closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, he won't give him anything even if she did try and fool him about everything that flash in her mind. Except one, she did remember the name Mikaela and always hear it from her sister mouth before, along with Yuuichirou and the plan of saving one of them. That time, she can't understand what those words mean, but after found out that document the dot connects and she finally understand why Prince or Ferid Bathory attacks Hyakuya Orphanage.

She looks at Guren and finally said, "Why you ask her about the purpose of having a Seraph?"

Guren doesn't even look at her when answer, "None of your business. Here I give you a hint, come to the downtown uuurghh.. the place is where I usually train you, there's an abandoned factory right? There, you can find everything about Pinocchio's group. That is their former base. If you're lucky you'll probably meet the member too."

After that, Guren told her to leave the room.

* * *

While taking a gulp of orange juice and looking at two people who're so deep in debate how to eat _gyoza_ in a right way, Yuu lets out a long sigh.

There'll no end of this, but the three keep debating and starting to curse at each other—except Yoichi who eats his omelet in peace. He looks at Yuu and give him a wry smile and took a glance at Kimizuki and Mitsuba. Of course, while giving the other the example they actually eats the _gyoza_ so there's nothing left on the plate. The loud noise coming from lively canteen doesn't help the bad mood to fly away from Yuu.

"I think both of them are the most matured member here, but look at them."

Yoichi puts down his spoon and muttering 'Gochisousama'. Yuu direct his gaze toward the curl-haired boy who is looking at him with an awkward stare, maybe he doesn't know how to respond so Yuu change the topic with, "So, you've been in the same team with Kimizuki before this?"

"Well, not really, my sister is the one who works with him. I usually do the gathering information and writing reports before this." He said while making a bitter smile.

"...Your sister..."

"Yes, died in action. Kimizuki-kun never forgave himself after that and promised me that he will stick with me and support me if I want to avenge my sister. But, I think it doesn't matter now, the ghoul has been killed in the raid by another squad so…"

Yuu then quickly brought the glass to his mouth and gulped down some sour liquid. Right after Yoichi made a sad face he regret and blame himself as what he had asked. As if noticing that, Yoichi suddenly yelps and said, "Sorry, but is okay, Yuu-kun. I'm fine now."

"Of course it is not." Yuu muttered.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Attentions are on Mitsuba now, since when she and Kimizuki stop yelling is unknown. Yuu can see Kimizuki's brow is knitting together, maybe he overheard the conversation with Yoichi, he ignores the glare come from the glasses boy and look at Mitsuba.

"Nothing special…"

She frowned upon hearing the response, but keep her mouth shut as looking away from Yuu.

"Did Shinoa really burn her apartment?" She asked.

"I don't know. But looking at her expression I can't tell if she's lying or not though."

"She did what?" Kimizuki said frowning.

"...Why?" Yoichi asked right after Kimizuki.

Yuu just waved his hand, "Don't ask me."

"You shouldn't be so surprised about that. This is _Shinoa_ that we're talking about." Mitsuba said and lifted up her glass and put it on her lips. The textures of thick, creamy foam that taste bitter before now change into magnificent sweet aftertaste. She makes a note to order this kind of coffee again later.

"Sanguu-san, have you ever worked with First-Class Hiiragi before?" Kimizuki asked with a strange low tone.

"Mitsuba is fine and no, this is my first time too. But, I know her since we're in same class back in the academy. But she is the one who always thinks carefully as she hates to lose from others, and that First-Class rank is not a joke because she got it at 12 after killing a ghoul with B rank quinque alone."

Yoichi and Kimizuki gasp at hearing that news, that's normal, every normal person would gasp and doesn't believe this at first, but when you get well to know her enough you will gradually believe the news and think that Shinoa deserve that. "She can climb to Special-Class, but she refuses a raised rank ever since and probably stuck in First-Class forever."

That was new even for Yuu. So, Shinoa is stronger than Guren after all. He asked the question that popped-up on his mind and then Mitsuba gave him a shook of head as an answer. Associate Special Class Ichinose Guren can't climb up because he is Ichinose that stays in a Hiiragi's department, if he change place to Washuu's department, there's a slight hope he can be a Special-Class too. Up until now, the one who have Special-Class rank is Arima Kishou and Hiiragi Mahiru but now he Yuu realize that he is surrounded with powerful people and it makes him want to practice more.

"Eh, ah, t-then... should we talk about anything else?" Yoichi broke the intense silence and staring contest with panicky voice.

"Let's what should we do in this case." Mitsuba said and make her left hand as support to rest her chin.

"Gathering information is important, I already think to try searching for something on our database and tracking Pinocchio's latest movement or action." Yoichi said and make a scribble on a tissue with pen that he found from his pocket.

"Nice one, I would try to ask my colleagues from other district as to find the assistant's real or false identity." Mitsuba adds and look at Kimizuki.

"I'll help Yoichi for information. He can't do that alone, right?"

Then the violet eyes look at Yuu.

"He'll help me patrolling the near area while looking for apartment."

A sudden cheerful voice makes Yuu's eyes focused on the lilac-haired girl that holding her white coat with both hands just like a Maiko folding their arms together behind the kimono sleeve. Shinoa sat beside Mitsuba and grab the nearest glass and drink up the liquid in one gulp. "We'll inform you if we found something. Then, Yuu-san, should we go now?"

Just like a spell, Yuu stands after Shinoa finish her word, but leave before she adds, "Even if it's not as big and fancy as Associate Special Class Ichinose's room, we already have our own room on 6th floor you guys can put your belongings and documents there now. Don't forget to lock it before going home." She said as put the key in the center of the table.

Yawning, Yuu looks at the girl who walks in front of him with fingers folding together at her back. Her deep purple bow dance as she took a step forward and her white trenched coat swaying in the wind. She said she wanted to drink coffee before doing an actual job so ask Yuu some reference, but Yuu is not really a fan of coffee, but he remembers one name where he usually hangs out with Mika on weekends. Both of them reach: re in an instant, as the first time come here Shinoa let her eyes travels the books on the shelf and its unique decoration.

"It feels home, don't you think?" She asked as sit, down near the barista table.

"Say the one who just burns her own home."

"It's not home, Yuu-san."

Yuu looks up and met a pair of empty rose eyes, but in a matter of seconds her expression come back to the normal one and calling a waitress to order. Shinoa have just ordered iced coffee while Yuu decide to try their special espresso.

Shinoa look at almost every corner of the cafe before looking back at Yuu with a wide grin, "Hey, cherry boy, do you ever think that you will meet your fated one here?"

"Huh? Why so suddenly?"

"OK, you don't want me to remember the pain as for being alone at the time you were born to the earth, sorry, I should notice that this is a very —"

"I don't know why, but I am sure that is not what you meant."

"You should treat me today."

"What?!"

"I forgot to bring my wallet, Yuu-san."

"I saw you put your purse in your pocket, don't lie to me."

"Are you that stupid that can't even make out the difference of purse and wallet?"

"Whatever... okay... I'll treat you.. fine."

"If you meet your fated one or someone that can make you cry in this cafe I'll be the one who treat you."

"So you _did_ bring some money."

Yuu rests his head on the table, his head can't stop pounding because of lack of sleep last night. He usually can ignore the pain as if it's nothing and he already used to it. Maybe today is an exceptional day he can feel cold sweat covered his forehead. He raised his head and holds it with right hand, he can hear Shinoa ask something, but he can't make out the words as the world start to blur and spinning around. He also heard a step coming closer and a voice behind his head said, "Are you afraid meeting Mika in person and real life?"

"—u-san...Yuu-san! Are you okay?"

He looks at Shinoa and feel a hand grab his shoulder with a firm grip, when he took a glance at it, it Shinoa's the girl stands and sat in the empty seat beside Yuu and look at him carefully. "Should we head home instead?"

"No, no… I'm fine." Yuu put a reassuring smile and leans back to the chair with a long sigh.

"Here's special espresso and iced coffee."

Yuu's eyes snap back open and meet a pair of sapphire eyes looking back at him with the same shock with the one he probably wear.

He remembers the curls blond hair that looks like a halo on his pale white skin, sapphire blue eyes. The voice is slightly different and change due to puberty, the height and most of his facial features too but Yuu can still recognize it. The other quickly served their order and went back, but Yuu stand and grabbed his hand.

"You're Mika, right?"


	6. Plan

She remembered her first impression when she met Shinoa.

It was the first homeroom lesson, a man who seemed to be the homeroom teacher was talking about the entrance ceremony that may look and feels like the usual entrance ceremony from normal school. But what's on her mind was the time when she would go home after all this non-sense academic thing. The reason was because her sister told her that one member from Hiiragi house would become her classmate.

"It's just like repeating a history,"

Mitsuba smiled.

Six years ago, her sister had attended this academy just as Mitsuba was doing now, and up until now she always stays at number two while the number one is Hiiragi Mahiru. On Sanguu house, Mitsuba is strongest one, she even defeated her cousins on one on one battle, but it probably means nothing in front of Hiiragis. But Mitsuba didn't think that as anything bad. Truth is, she didn't mind being number two, as long as she was able to avoid conflict and obey her father's wish, it was fine.

Mitsuba looked up and let her gaze wander, 50 people in one class. The males and females each made up half of the class. People from this class may don't know anything about a Hiiragi was assigned to this class, and she did remember the name, it was Hiiragi Shinoa.

In this academy or even Commission Counter of Ghoul, the Hiiragi name held a special distinguished status after Washuu—so much so that the Hiiragis could even be called as the representatives of God. She looked at the empty seat in the first row of the classroom, close to the entrance.

At that moment, she could hear the sound of the classroom door sliding open. In that instant, all of the student's attention is locked on entrance door, she could feel the class tensed up.

And then, "I'm sorry, I was lost as to find the classroom."

The teacher probably recognized her and said in a nervous voice, "Well… um… Hiiragi Shinoa, right? Your seat is…"

But, Shinoa cut her off and said, "Actually, I don't want such a front seat. Shinya- _nii san_ said that the second row near the window at the back of class is the best place to sit."

"Well… but… you…"

This conversation seemed to indicate the arrival of a Queen, and the teacher can't say no to the one who carried the blood of Hiiragi and the mention of Hiiragi Shinya. As Mitsuba turned her gaze, she ended getting slightly surprised by what she saw. The girl who stood there was looking right at her.

Her hair color is just like her sister, but a darker shade—it reminds her to the color of her mother favorite flower—and instead of straight and silk long hair she had shoulder-length waved hair with a crown braid tied to her deep purple bow. To top it off, that Hiiragi Shinoa approached Mitsuba with a sweet smile on her face, she said to a boy who was seated beside Mitsuba.

"I'm sorry, but can you swap with me? I want to sit beside Micchan."

The boy got up frantically and said, "Of course! Please help yourself," and then made way.

"Thank you." Shinoa grinned and took the seat. " _Sensei,_ I am very sorry for interrupting, please continue the homeroom class."

After Shinoa said that, the teacher stepped back to the podium and talked about the protocol for the entrance ceremony, about the curriculum and all the training. Before Mitsuba turn her gaze out the window again.

"Hey." Shinoa called out to her. "Sanguu Mitsuba, right? Can I call you Micchan?"

Mitsuba looked at the girl, her smile start makes her irritated, but she doesn't mention it and replied, "Please don't do that."

"Eeeeh? Why?" She cried and pulled her seat near to Mitsuba. "Don't be so cold to me~"

"I had been strictly taught to not defy Hiiragi House."

"Is letting me call you Micchan means you defy me or my family to you?"

"Yes."

"Hmm… That's boring. But well, I don't need your permission. I will call you Micchan, and you can't say no to that."

Mitsuba nod her head once and looked at the girl, she did look like a normal 12 year old girl. Without that tiny badge on her pure white shirt, no one even Mitsuba would know that she is Hiiragi or the fact that she is the famous Hiiragi Mahiru's little sister, because except her rosy eyes she doesn't look like her sister at all.

"By the way, even if I bear Hiiragi's blood, no one really cares about me. Well, I am the youngest offspring and the weakest one, unlike my sister. She got all she wants and do whatever she want in sake of the family. But on a time like this, when my sister is too obsessive in her experiments my brothers even my father starts to look after me and even make me enter this academy. They probably think I must be my sister replacement when she stopped make any achievement. That's why I hate Hiiragi, just like Shinya- _niisan_ and Guren- _san_. If you hate Hiiragi house too, then we are comrades." She said.

Mitsuba had heard of something like this from her father. There is no family-bond and caring each other on Hiiragi House, what's on their mind is how to be stronger from others. There is no older or younger, if you can beat your brother or sister, then you are the winner and you may treat them as rat or trash as much as you like. But Mitsuba didn't know it that was really true or just a rumor. The most important thing is, even if what Shinoa said was true, there was no reason for her to stick to this family, not like her sister who really loves to be played by Hiiragi Kureto.

"I don't hate Hiiragi house, so we're not comrades."

Mitsuba exclaims and make the conversation reach its end.

After that day, Shinoa become more close to her no matter how hard Mitsuba pushed her or talked to her sarcastically, the girl stays and even dare to hug Mitsuba every morning before the class starts. There were times when Shinoa absent for weeks and even months and in the next year she suddenly graduated and begin her career as Rank 1 Investigator at 13.

* * *

Mika never likes big streets like the one when you always end up bump into some busy businessman and let them ruin your mood just because the way their eyes glaring at you. He prefers alleyways as no one would enter this complicated maze alone and let some thug rob their wallets or bags. Mika has been living in District 13 for almost two years now, but he still can't remember half of them. There always some time he lost and has to take the main road to check if he still in Tokyo or not. It wasn't exaggeration to say that he felt more peace when walking through a narrow dark street that make anyone would feel disoriented. The reason behind this was that he still remembers running into a dark alley to hide from his father or mother.

Mika followed the road that led west out of the center town, he would arrive at the back door of the shop after working his way through the crowds for a little bit. But he stops and looking at the man with short purple hair stand and leaning on the walls, his eyes meet with his blue eyes.

".. Lacus… Finally, you understand how the shift works." Mika said in sarcastic way as make his way through the door, but the man hands grab his arm and make him stop.

"Hyakuya Yuuichirou."

Mika felt shiver down to his spine as the mention of that name and look at Lacus who is glaring at him. He probably knows about Yuu, well, he and Yuu bear the same last name. All this time, what Krul and Mahiru told him is member of Hyakuya orphanage is dying or become their loved specimen at a lab in District 2.

"He still alive… and top of it, he's dove. I bet you already know about this, Mika." He said with a cold voice.

"Yes." Mika answers him with an unexpectedly calm voice.

"You've met him?"

Mika shook his head as an answer.

"Good. Don't you dare think of meeting him—"

"Why?"

"I think it's obvious. He is dangerous. Once he knows your identity, he'll kill you and then he would find out Kirishima-san and others are ghoul too."

"So it is fine if he didn't find out my identity."

Lacus looks like he is ready to punch Mika in the face right now, but he holds it and grab Mika in his collar pushing him towards the wall and pin him. "Hyakuya Mikaela, let me warn you this, if you let your guards down and make him found out who's you really are I'll kill that Hyakuya Yuuichirou with my own hands."

Mika lets out a smirk on his face and look into a pair of black-red eyes. He has that one on his left eye and almost laughs at himself. He is indeed a monster just like Lacus, he grabs a Lacus's hand and snatch it away before said, "Don't ever think of hurt or touch Yuu-chan. I'll cut both of your filthy hands and make sure it won't heal anymore."

Lacus laughs at Mika when he notices the young boy left eye had turned and stuck his hand into his pockets and heading towards the door. He puts his hand and look at Mika from his corner of the eyes, "We can't trust human, Mika."

"… I thought you wouldn't be back for weeks." Mika said following Lacus enter the changing room. He saw Lacus changes his T-shirt into a white shirt, black vest and tying up his dark brown tie.

"Yeah.. But I found out that Doves are marking on you too. I know you're strong, even strong enough to make Ferid look like a weak rat when you first join us, but Dove is a different story, they're tricky and you can't predict their move alone. So, be a good kid and listen to your _senpai_."

Mika found himself smiling at Lacus's answer and say, "Thanks _, senpai._ "

Then he joins Yomo in the kitchen before Touka enters the room and told him to serve table 14's order as she has something to do. Mika gives her a nod and quickly receive the tray and brings it to the table near the counter. He saw a girl with pale purple hair sat beside the man with a mess raven hair, her face is full of worry as she let her hand rest on the man's shoulder.

"Should we head home instead?"

Her voice asks in a careful tone, the man shakes his head and answers, "No, no… I'm fine."

The man leans to the chair as Mika slowly bows to the girl that noticed his appearance as she sat on her seat. Mika notices that both of them are wearing a pure white trenched coat, and white case as a sign that both of them are Doves.

"Here's special espresso and iced coffee." He said as served the glass and cup on the table.

Just as he looked at the man and asked him if he needs something else as he looked so much in pain before, his eyes meet with a pair of vibrant green eyes. Mika can feel his body tense up when he took a closer look and recognize the face. Even if most of his facial features changed as his hair style looked different and messier than their first meeting, his eyes make Mika remember him almost in a second. And maybe the other had remembered Mika too.

Mika quickly makes his leaves and felt a hand grab his hand and stops him.

"You're Mika, right?"

Even his voice is changed too.

But, the nostalgic feeling when he heard his name called make Mika grit his teeth.

He always wants to meet Yuu as soon as possible, grab his hand and took him to a place where no one can find them. After listening to Mahiru's word about CCG keep Yuu because he is Seraph too, make Mika mad. He knows he made a mistake that night. If he knows a ghoul had infiltrated the house why can't he just take Yuu to somewhere else and make sure Yuu is fine and safe.

"Mika… You're Mika…. Right? Please, please look at me."

Mika tries to let the hands go, but it just makes the others grab his hand harder, actually, it hurts, but it won't leave any marks. He took a glance at those green eyes and gives him a smile.

"Can we talk later? I'm on my shift now," He said, surprisingly in a calm voice despite how hard his heart was beating.

"S-sorry!" He suddenly apologizes and let go of Mika's hand.

Mika stares at Yuu for about a minute longer, _he still easy to blush and embarrassed_ , he thinks.

"I supposed you have a whole thing to do after this, so, you can come here when you have a time. If it's not my shift I will answer every question on your head." Mika say as he turned his back and heading to the counter. Mika feels if he could melt into the floor or wall or anything when he saw Lacus looking at him with a cold expression from the window of the kitchen. He takes in a couple of deep breaths to clear his thoughts.

Truth is, all Mika wants right now is jump and hug Yuu, talk to him for hours, and maybe tease him. He looks at Yuu, who is talking to a girl who sit in front of him, he have more expression rather than angry expression and pissed off expression. He sometimes hears Yuu's yelling at the girl with a furious tone and glaring at the girl who simply laughs and maybe tease him more.

He looks so happy that makes Mika's heart hurt, he feels like someone stab him over and over again every time he looks at Yuu. He clutched his finger together and tries to focus on anything, anything except that table as he saw Lacus give him a signal to meet him after the shift clock ends. Mika gives him a nod.

* * *

"… Sanguu-san…"

Mitsuba looked up and met with big round eyes looking back at her. She puts her pen and straight her back as Yoichi puts down some paper on her desk. Mitsuba quickly check what's on it. Her lips start to form a wide smile and look at Yoichi while grinning before asked, "Where did you find this thing?"

"I'm a former member of Division 2. Some of my friends give me this. But, the most important thing is…. this…" Yoichi says in a lighter tone and give Mitsuba's one document he found in CCG's main database.

"Case 108? It's been three or four years since that case. You think its connected?" Mitsuba ask, and saw Yoichi nod as an answer.

".. The ghoul from 108 is considered as another Binge Eater from district 13, he eats more often than the real Binge Eater from 20th. Some of my friend suspect that the kagune is Ukaku because sometimes they found two corpses in two different places in one night. There's no ghoul as fast as Ukaku, so… and this 108 suddenly disappear after eats more than 50 people in three weeks, and on the next day, Pinocchio's group appears."

"108 is rated S so you think it's impossible for them to kill it so, then they make him their friends and form a group?" Mitsuba ask.

"Actually, I've found something else." Said Kimizuki as the door opened, he folds his coat leaving an only pair of black suits as he walks to Mitsuba's seat. "One of the member Pinocchio's group named Rene's quinque is done, First-class Hiiragi Shinoa want me to tell you about that, she said you know what to do about that quinque."

Mitsuba suddenly stands and look at both of man who look at her with a confused stare. "Heh.. That girl, I bet she already know about everything we talked about today."

"What… does that mean, Sanguu-san?"

Mitsuba look at Kimizuki, "I said, Shinoa probably go to Pinocchio's former base today with Yuu."

"Ooohh… I see, so you guys finally understand what I'm planning on."

Mitsuba turns to see Shinoa making her way into her desk followed by Yuu, who throw her coat to Shinoa's desk with some _formal_ attitude. He has that super angry expression on his face that make Shinoa couldn't stop giggling. Yuu then sat on her desk busying himself with documents or anything on his desk as Shinoa lean on it and look at the others.

"Shouldn't you be on their base or anything? Did you find anything else?" Mitsuba greets her with a question that make Shinoa pouts.

"I'm expecting you to say _Welcome Back_ with a wide smile as I'm still alive."

"Okay, I'll do whatever you want after you answer my question."

"Really?!" Shinoa's smile, then her snatch a paper from Yuu's hand and give him a signal to explain everything.

".. Um, yeah.. We go to their base. Unfortunately, there's nothing left behind except some of their masks and memo about meeting someone one year ago. The person is called Horn Skuld, Shinoa thinks it may be ghoul too and connected to Sanguinem. There are another memo about the names and biodata of their victims and some investigators too. Nothing else."

"Yuu is too stupid to notice that this base is made for three people, and some trails of fights and dried blood. And as to Ukaku ghoul's identity…. I bet Yoichi already told you all about it. I do think this 108's case ghoul is a member of Pinocchio." Shinoa continued as Yuu look at her begging for her follow, She took one pencil from Yuu's table and play with it between her fingers and add, "You guys remember the night where Aihara and Tomoki's squad annihilated by Pinnochio and his assistance, right? That is also the night I burn up my apartment. Actually, I met with someone on my way to station and notices him, talked with some guy before throwing a huge bag in the trash bin. He took a detour before reaching the station, he may not notice it, but I saw some blood on his jeans. If he's not the Pinocchio, we searched, he may be the Ukaku ghoul that may lead us to Pinocchio." She stops short, perking up, "I don't whose desk is it but the phone is ringing."

With a yelp, Yoichi abandons papers in his hand and dashes to his desk to fetch the device. The rest of the squad watches as he speeds towards the phone call and apologizing over and over for making the people there wait. Then Yoichi stay silent and look at Kimizuki before answering some yes and face Kimizuki, "Kimizuki-kun… Mirai is…."

"I have no time for that." Kimizuki's answer is too fast and he makes his way back to his desk. Yoichi runs and grab the taller boy's arm. "She was brought to the ICU. You have to meet he—"

"Okay, I get the point. Could you shut up now?"

Yoichi's eyes widened in surprise and drop his hand to his hips as he watched Kimizuki walks away only to be stopped by Yuu. His green eyes glaring at Kimizuki, "Your sister needs you now." He said with a deep voice.

"Shut your mouth, it's none of your business."

"But your sister is in ICU… something bad ma—"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH, RANK 3 HYAKUYA YUUICHIROU. If you have free time use it to find out where Pinnochio or that Ukaku ghoul's place it will more —"

Before Kimizuki can finish his sentence he felt something punch his face even make his glasses flying somewhere, he looks at Yuu, who is blushing out from anger his finger clutched into a fist.

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR INVESTIGATE ANYTHING! YOUR FAMILY IS ON DANGER! I MAY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S DISEASE BUT… she needs her brother now, she's your only one family, right? If you lost her now you… if you lost her now, you can't meet her anymore." Yuu suddenly grabs Kimizuki's hand and pull him through the door. He smiles at seeing the pink haired boy's expression, "Hey, don't look at me as if I'm an alien."

Yuu pushed Kimizuki out of the door and shoved him his coat, then Yoichi pass the wallet and phone for him. Kimizuki still dazed and Shinoa pick the glasses and give it to Kimizuki. He can hear Mitsuba's words from the room, "Go, I don't want any punching scene happen in this room again."

And with that, Kimizuki dashed to the hospital.

* * *

All Kimizuki saw was a white, from where he leant in the corner, against the window, all he could see was a scene white as snow. The curtains, sheets, metal rods and the bed frame, even the walls and ceiling that encompassed the surroundings. The color of skin that, too, was linked up to white tubes. He felt as if he was being watched by the girl's wide eyes, with a blaming gaze.

Of course, it was only an illusion, and the face of a girl still faced the ceiling, eyes closed. The hallucination was of his own making. The guilt that gripped him was too heavy, and so, conversely, he wished for that imaginary eye to blame him.

He wanted to just run away, but there was nowhere to run. He was afraid that running away would leave him with regrets, and so he held a sly hope that his guilt would go away one day. When he found a way to cure his sister's—Mirai's disease.

But the girl on the bed remained cruelly silent. Furthermore, she was in a state where she could neither see nor hear anything. But the doctor explains that Mirai is in stable condition right now, as he let him to visit her in her usual room.

"Ah, look what have you done."

The voice that spoke to his back jarred violently with the atmosphere. Kimizuki did not turn to face the voice, and only clenched his jaw tightly. With the same unsuitable tone, the owner of the voice continued to speak to the boy, who emitted something close to killing intent.

"I heard she survived? Isn't that lucky? How about we talked about my proposal now."

"Eusford…."

The anger was apparent in Kimizuki's reply. Even so, he did not attack the man behind him —Crowley Eusford, this was because he was aware that the target of his anger should be his very self. Crowley seemed to have observed this, and, clad very strikingly against the white backdrop of the hospital, he smiled cheerfully, and said, "You're smart. That's why I like you. You know very well why I helped you that day, and this is your fault she's become this way. _If_ you just let me adopt her, I promise to treat her better and even with all of my connections, I can find the cure."

Before Crowley had a chance to continue, the boy lunged towards him. Even knowing they were in a hospital, he could no longer find a reason to suppress his anger. Even so, Crowley narrowly dodges his fist, and broke his balance by tripping him over, before he grabbed the arm of the unsteady boy and flipped him onto the floor. Before he knew it the boy was on the floor, and from where he lay he gazed up, dazedly at the man before him.

"Good. You were right to have been angry at me right then, because I was obviously mocking you, with malicious intent."

Crowley puts a finger to his smiling lips.

"But see, it's a hospital. We have to keep" With this mockery all said and done, he looked towards the girl in the ward. "It'd be great if she could wake up. Or, for you—would it be better if she stayed this way forever?"

"… What are you trying to say?"

The boy hesitated for a moment before he spoke, but thought his words held much less anger than before, an equal measure of fear had come into his voice. As if to add salt to his wounds, Crowley replied, generously.

"You know already what I'm gonna say now. You're afraid, aren't you? That if she were to wake, maybe from now on, as a result, she would blame you, forever."

"…"

"But then, what if she were to die? You'd be living painted with a guilt you'd never be able to repay? Looking at your personality, it'd probably turn out that way. In other words, whether she lives or dies has no impact whatsoever on the guilt you feel."

Crowley turned his head to the silent boy, kindly, and spoke with a warm voice. As if he would forgive him in place of the girl. But what he spoke of was not warm in the least. "She said if you signed the paper she would come with me. She's waiting for you to agree on this proposal for a long time. This is a chance for you to run from her," Crowley shrugged, as if even he were helpless, leant on the wall, and looked into the distance.

"And for your information, you can't trust Hiiragis house that easily,"

He spoke lightly about a topic that seemed extremely grand.

"They can make your sister as their specimen whenever they want it. They've been searching a way to make something called Seraph. Their beloved daughter, Hiiragi Mahiru died and brought the knowledge of Seraph with her and now Hiiragi Kureto is obsessed over that Seraph thing, it's only a matter of time before he found out your sister real disease."

"I don't understand what are you saying… at all."

The boy shook his head as he replied, unsmiling, and Crowley smiled bitterly as he sighed.

"You know already." The maroon haired man crooked his lip, seemingly happy and faced the quivering boy to make a very simple conclusion.

"You have to choose me over the Hiiragis house if you don't want to lose your sister."

The boy could only quietly accept Crowley's words. He looked at the exit door and call it for a day and heading towards the door, Kimizuki turn his head and meet with a girl with a curl blue hair waving at him with a wide smile.

Mirai regained her consciousness two hours later, and when she awoke the boy was not by her side.

"Nii-san….."

* * *

When Kimizuki back to the office, he found Yuu sitting on his desk frowned and muttering something under his breath. He notices there is no one except Yuu in this room and opened his mouth, "Where's the others?"

Yuu flinched and looked up to meet with the glasses boy, he wanders his gaze over the room before going back to Kimizuki and replied, "Dinner… I don't know, Shinoa did mention something about eating dinner with Yoichi and drag Mitsuba along."

"What about you?"

"I'm not really hungry."

Kimizuki gives the boy a nod and heading to his desk as he listens Yuu's voice once again talking to him, "Is your sister okay?"

"Yeah.."

"That's a good thing to hear then.. Anyway, I don't know that a person like _you_ actually really care about your sister. You won't go far like this if it's not for your sister, right?" Yuu said that with a light tone, even a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah… thanks to you, now I have a lot work to do." Kimizuki said in a playful tone as he took a seat and look at Yuu who is pouting like angry kid.

"You know.. I've met my family today." Yuu suddenly broke the silence. "I've told the others before as I don't want to hide anything, in fact Shinoa met him too, so it's only a matter of time for you guys to know that too."

"Your family… from Hyakuya orphanage?"

"Yeah. His name is Mikaela. He's working at café now near our office called: re, I want you guys to meet him too someday."

"Yeah. Actually, Mirai did say that she wants to meet you all someday too."

"Oh my… Oh my… look at them Yoichi-san.. Is it a sign of love?"

Yuu tensed up as he found Shinoa standing near the door with mischievous smiles, then put a box from a fast food restaurant on Yuu's desk and heading towards Kimizuki's to share one too. After that, Yoichi and Mitsuba enter the room with both of them holding a large cup of soda in their hands.

"Did I just broke your romantic atmosphere, Yuu-san, Kimizuki-san?" Shinoa asked with sing-song voice.

"Shut the fuck up." Yuu and bite the burger from inside the box as he glaring at Shinoa.

The girl suddenly turns her heels and faced Mitsuba and Yoichi with both hands on her back, Yuu on his instinct stand and walk across the room and stand beside Yoichi. He found Kimizuki made the same way as he stands beside Mitsuba.

"Should we have a strategy meeting tonight?"


	7. the Bloom Petals

In my life up until now, had I ever encountered a person with that dark blue hair like this?

No matter how hard I try to remember every face and name I still can't recover any that look like him… or maybe her?

As if noticing my thoughts the boy/girl look at me with half closed eyes, then my phone starts to pack in a very loud noise. I cut it because it's probably the same call as usual. "I'm a boy, by the way," He said while smiling and folds his hands behind his back. "Shouldn't you answer that call? Your family needs you, right?"

His voice was quiet and went forward to remind me of this dream's plot in a straight way.

"You said that you're me… what does that mean? Who are you?"

"Looks like no one tells you about me, huh?"

I faced him who just point his finger to an intersection near Hyakuya orphanage, towards the across empty road. As my eyes trace the direction I can see Mika and I run straight to the orphanage, becoming through the crowds of people, and narrow streets rushed out into the smaller streets.

Just like a scene in the movie even if I don't take one step from where I stood before the scenery begins to go to the front gate of the orphanage.

"You're the one that always shows me this?" I asked.

"No. But I know that this is what you wanted the most… you want to see this piece of memories over and over and over until you can't keep up anymore, fall, broken, and start to think about dying." He said in a very low tone as a creeping smile forming from his lips.

"Huh?"

"You may not trust me, but I'm your quinque." He said with a bright voice as he runs to the big roads, his long hair danced in the wind when he turns his body to face me.

"Don't mess with me," I said, glaring at him. "Okay… now, tell me what's your name?" the boy just tilts his head.

"Why don't you just give me one? You're my master after all."

Before I can answer him, the sensation that my lungs were burning out slowly makes my awareness started to blur. I wondered if I can fainted inside a dream, now that I remembered about it, is it really inside the dream?

Why is my hand starting to hurt just like that day when I can't stop banging at the door and the tears start to flow from my eyes, the boy… where is he? But when I spot him, his grin is too broad. I couldn't work out what the boy said to me all I pictured is his mouth moving slowly, but no sound come to my ears. I turned my head and saw Mika smiling at me, his mouth is moving as well. Somehow, his soft voice reaches my ears.

 _Sorry, Yuu-chan. I can't protect you. Run._

And when the darkness envelops my vision ... I couldn't recall anything.

Yuu did not jolt awake, his eyes just snapped open. It's easy to wake calm, but it's really hard to curb the way his chest heaved, and the sound of heart pounding wildly in his ear. A layer of sweat drenched his t-shirt and stuck strands of hair to his forehead and neck. These nightmares were nothing new. But when the sun showered his room from the slightly opened curtain, then Yuu's eyes fell on the pure white case near his computer desk and remember what the boy said to him.

You may not trust me, but I'm your quinque.

"Is quinque that kind of weapon..? but, it's not manga's world, right?"

A loud knock stops his train of thoughts and in a second later he heard a light tone and playful tone he recognizes as Shinoa's voice.

"Yuu-san… There's a call from Associate Special class Ichinose. He waited for you for about an hour ago and he wants to kill you if you don't come in five minutes. What should I do? Should I let you die or helped you?"

Ah… right…. Guren did say he wanted to meet Yuu today.

* * *

"Do you have any last words before I throw you out the window, Yuu?"

Cold sweat running down from Yuu's cheek as he takes one step back when he met with those cold dark violet eyes. Guren isn't in his room today, hence, he looked for him around thirty minutes before deciding to go to his room and make an excuse if he sees him after. But, what wait for him behind the door was a man sitting on his desk with both legs branches on his chair.

"I thought you wait for me in your room… so…" He said as scratching his cheek.

Guren's eyes fell on him. He thrust his hands in the pants pocket and gives him a small bottle with Yuu's name on it and the dose he should take for a week. Yuu looks at it and recognizes what inside immediately, he groans and glaring at Guren.

"This… again?" He demands.

"Have you experienced bad dreams again or maybe your headache is becoming worse lately?" Guren asks him as he flips another page of the document from Yuu's desk, clearly not concerned.

"I'm not suffering any disease, depression or whatever that comes to your mind when you yield me this," Yuu said as he walks towards Guren and smash the small bottle to the table, the black haired man only took a glimpse of him before he let out a long sigh, then he suddenly takes Yuu on his collar.

"Yeah, you right… you are perfectly fine and healthy boy as long as you can yell and curse at me. But look, Dr. Shiba warned me about your current status, thanks to him that I finally know that you haven't taken any of this medicine for two years. If you want to die then tell me so I can kill you here and right now."

The pair of green eyes widened in surprise.

"I don't have time to argue or listening to your complaint." Guren let him go as he stands up, stuck his both hands in the pocket and proceed to exit the rooms before a hand holds him slowly tightening the clutch and make him look at Yuu from his corner of the eye.

"Am I sick? What kind of disease is it? Why haven't you told me anything about this?"

"Oh wow… look, how surprising, Hyakuya Yuuichirou can speak in a low voice after all. I thought you can only scream and shouting like a crazy kid." Guren answers it almost immediately.

"GUREN!" Yuu raised his voice and pull the man until those eyes looking at him.

"Don't worry, it's not deadly and you can probably live around ten or hundred years if you listen to me."

And then the grip loosens and he notices Yuu's shoulder start to trembling probably from fright or anger.

"That's not comforting at all," Yuu said as he folds his arm on his chest.

"Remember when you have a seizure… last year?" Guren suddenly asks with a serious tone.

"Yeah… you slap me twice because of that…" Yuu said as his eyes glaring back at the man. "But you don't mention anything about that up until now, then?"

"Actually, your RC factors rose up to 1000 that day, that's why you suddenly fainted and hit everyone in lobby worried. And your health examination result from Dr. Shiba two weeks ago was making me want to choke you every time I saw you." Guren shoves him a piece of paper, Yuu grabs it and look at lists of words and sentence that he can't understand but at the very bottom of the paper.

The words are written in block and capslock:

 **RC FACTORS LEVEL: 875**

Yuu's mind went white and his mouth keeps mumbling the numbers. He blanked every word and curse that he prepared for Guren and look at the man blankly. He remembers almost all of those RC factors from one class where he paid attention the most because most of the time the instructor would talk about quinque and how it's formed and also how Special class Hiiragi Mahiru found a way to make quinque even stronger and not easily broken.

 _Ghouls may disguise themselves as human, wearing the same clothes as we are or pretending they can use up our lovely pizza or burgers, but there's one thing that they can hide or counterfeit. That is RC levels or factors, it is a measure for the amount of RC cells in the physical structure of a living organism. Ghouls have RC factors ten times higher than humans. The average healthy human has RC factors of about 200 to 500 while a ghoul has RC factors of about 1000 to 8000. If, for whatever reason, a normal human receives an excessive amount of RC cells, such as through experiments or disorder, they will start to develop ghoul-like characteristics and eventually not be able to consume normal food, and in the worst case, the victim would suffer RoS (RC Cell Over-Secretion Disease) and died._

Yuu looks at Guren, his eye looks shining with the tears. "W-what's this…?"

"How old are you, kid? Don't cry, it's disgusting. What's in that bottle is actually an RC suppressant, and some else that I can't tell you about, but... trust me, I'm trying to help you right now. There's no human that can contain such a high level of RC cell. If you don't want to die then… you know what to do."

With that Guren walks toward the door, but he stops when he hears Yuu's voice calling out for him, "BAKA-GUREN! What have you done to my body?" He yelled at the man and when Guren turns his head to look at him, he let out a satisfied smile as he met with a pair of green eyes look at him, full of murderous intent. "I'm not that stupid and fool to trust every word that came from your mouth. Answer me, all this time… you use me as you—"

"What if I am? What if I'm using your body for an experiment? You have a problem about that? Remember the day you said that you will do everything for me in exchange I teach you how to kill Ghouls? Look, kid, I won't take you, adopt you or even let you enter that academy for free… If I can do any good for you I'll give you anything, if you can't do that I can throw or kill you whenever I can."

His face makes Yuu believe that he's not lying. He felt betrayed, and his clenched fingers start to feel hurt and he can feel warm blood slowly covering his tip of the nails. He stared back at the man before he let a loud sigh escape his mouth, "So it's true… you've been using me all this time…"

Guren peeked at him, his hand dropped beside his hip from the door's handle, "Is Shinoa who told you about that?"

"What if she is?"

"You know what? That girl seemed to have some feelings for you." Guren turned his heels and faced Yuu, with both hands folding on his chest as he lean to the door, a mocking smile starts to form from his lips and make Yuu suddenly want to throw everything on his range.

"You know what? I want to kill you if you mention something like that again," Yuu shot back a reply in a mock tone and copying the same pose like Guren by leaning to his desk. "Stop with this little talk and answer my question. What do you want me to do? You said you want to make use of me, right? Then, tell me… what should I do to impress a very fucking important person like you?"

"Hoo… so this brat finally realizes his position, huh?" Guren said with a proud smile on his face. "There's one thing I want you to do from now on… as my pet, I want you to stay alive and protect everything that's important to you. Treat your friends and comrades as your own family—"

"—And stay alive… even if it's for revenge or what inside your mind is killing ghouls. Because, one day you will meet someone that needs you or your stupid mindset about this messed world." Yuu cut the words as he knows what's coming next and said it with the exact tone like Guren always said to him when he having a nightmare before. "Is that it? Is that the only thing I should do for you? I don't care what are you going to do with my body, but… as long as I can protect my family I would do everything, even if it means to jump to the hell I would do it."

Guren looks at Yuu with a stare that he can't make out what that's means before he turn his back once again and leave the room. Yuu hears his steps fading out behind the door and he can't help but smile as the man's words replaying in his head like a broken cassette.

"Don't become a grown-up like me, Yuu."

* * *

It's frequently said that district 13 is the heart or essence of Tokyo. It also represents the Tokyo itself, the metropolitan area with so much pedestrian walking and dressed in suits, talking with someone through the cell phone. As for Mitsuba, she detested this kind of atmosphere and people in gray-colored life flickering in her field of vision. She prefers a quiet and desolate place like district 9 or 18.

Here she was hitting up a conversation on such a topic with Shinoa in café near the office building filled with the man and woman in white trenched coat talking and discussing with some cup of coffee on their tables. As always, Shinoa would carry a smiling face and pronounce, "That's the best place for living a peaceful life. By the way, I never knew you were that kind of girl, Micchan."

"Are you saying that it's not normal for me to live out from an urban area?" So she protested.

"Did I say that? But Micchan, whether it's crowded place, suburbs area or village I don't think your family would allow you to move out. Or… you finally found your future husband from a higher class of clan."

"Let's not talk about marriage."

"Okay."

Shinoa's smile broadened. "You always think about the future and consequences and it makes you miss the chance to meet someone special in your life, and that's the problem."

Mitsuba gave her approval to that with a snort since she dislike wasting energy on anything bothersome like protested over Shinoa's words but what she just said is half true. It's not Mitsuba haven't met someone special, she met that person, but he's dead before she can express or tell him that he's special for her.

"Back to the topic, today I choose you to accompany me patrolling today."

"No, thank you. Ask Hyakuya Yuuichirou, you usually hang out with him, not me,"

"Oh my gosh… Micchan are you jealous?"

"What? Are you saying that I'm jealous over you?"

Shinoa answered without hesitation, "From a certain perspective, yes. Though, it's a completely different matter if you're trying to convince me to ask Kimizuki-kun or Yoichi-kun. Your act and behavior… also, that blush on your cheek told me everything. You like Yuu-san."

"…"

Mitsuba once again looked at the person before her. Hiiragi Shinoa, her former classmates and now her squad's leader. Shinoa's eyes are sharp over little things around her but sometimes she is mistaken something, that is people isn't always easy to read, and Mitsuba isn't blushing at all. It's quite difficult to explain, but she doesn't see Yuu the way Shinoa imagine it in her head.

Anyway, arguing with her is just a waste of energy. She waved her hand to signify the end of this conversation.

"Yeah… whatever, just tell me where should we go today."

"Hmm… I have no idea…" As Shinoa stretched her waist, she suddenly realized something and looked at Mitsuba who raises her cup of cold cappuccino. "Wait… I had promised to meet someone today."

"If you need me, I'm in our—"

"No, no… Micchan, you come with me. It's not someone important… Just an informant I know, you probably know him too. I'll tell Yuu-san to continue your job desk today."

"Ah… Okay, then."

Mitsuba wouldn't want to get herself involved in such awkward atmosphere where she can't go out. But, Shinoa did say that she can swap her job desk with Yuu just for today. Both of the girls headed towards the station when Mitsuba asked, "So… why me? What happen with Yuu?"

"I don't think after meeting up with Associate Special class Ichinose today he would have a good mood. I may don't know what they are talking about, but if Associate Special class wants to meet him alone, then I assumed it's something about Yuu-san himself, whether his behavior lately or…. I don't know..."

"…What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Shinoa gives her a smile and add, "I'm not a type who talked about someone else behind their back, whether it is badmouthing or a simple praise."

They walked along the narrow alley and up towards metal stairs to the third story of some building. This is the first time Mitsuba ever come to this kind of place. Shinoa knocks the door and opens it when she heard a faint voice from inside. While cursing at such a dirty apartment behind the door, Mitsuba followed Shinoa to the living room and meet with a guy with curled blond hair. His sapphire blue eyes look shining and his skin looks even pale from a sunlight that showered the room from the windowpane. The boy wears a black hoodie and jeans with a pair of sneakers. He talked with Shinoa and led the way outside the apartment towards the rooftops. That is where Mitsuba recognizes a man with a red cap and long yellow hair sitting at the very edge while eating a cup of instant ramen.

Mitsuba's gaze stuck with the strange guy they met at the third floor before as he called the man who was eating, his blue eyes fell on both of them once again followed by a pair of hazel eyes.

"Ooooh…. Shinoa-chan, long time no see~" The hazel eyes one said in a cheerful tone as he stand up, abandon his ramen.

"Hide-san… how come I can't contact your phone these months. Have you changed your number again lately?" Shinoa said with a surprising warm voice just like a smile that forming on her lips.

"And… is that… Mitsuba-chan? Wow, it's been a very long time since last time I saw you… both of you." The man once again greeted them with a bright smile as Mitsuba bowed to him.

This man is Nagachika Hideyoshi ex-Ghoul Investigator, and now he is working as an informant for everyone from this branch office because he suffered some kind of bad injuries from a raid back on district 20 years ago.

"Hide-san…" the blue eyes guy before suddenly opened his mouth, "I have promised to accompany Lacus to district 14 today, sorry—"

"Oh, okay, sure. I don't have any plan today… besides, clean up my apartment so you can go. Don't forget your shift today with Lacus, okay?"

The guy nods and bow to Mitsuba and Shinoa before leaving the rooftop.

"Who's that?" Shinoa ask.

"Shindou Mikaela, my… assistant?" Hide said with a sheepish smile as he scratches his cheek. "So, what kind of information you want to buy today, Shinoa-chan?"

"A cheap apartment building near our office and binge eater that appeared in this district two years ago,"

"What should we do for the payment?"

"Actually, I have something to tell you and I swear you haven't heard it from someone else before."

* * *

It's not a good afternoon as Mika stuck with Lacus inside the car.

Being with Lacus isn't something bad, but the way he seems so nervous make Mika can't stay still. He has to prepare himself if Lacus suddenly want to climb up off the car and start yelling at a pedestrian. The problem is Itori is searching for both of them, and Lacus hate Itori with all of his bones. He doesn't want to step on Helter Skelter again after Itori kissed him and forced him to open his shirt in front of a lot of people. Of course, both of them are drunk due to alcohol Ferid brought to the bar, but Lacus remember every little and detail of the event.

"You're the one who suggests to meeting Uta-san in Helter Skelter, right?" Mika said as they are getting off from the car.

"Yeah. Sorry." He muttered, then he looked at Mika kind of startled. "Let's go."

Ever since Lacus's form a Pinocchio's group along with Rene and Mika he's become a great customer from Uta's Hysy art studio and often order some of masks design like the one he always wears now, even Mika's mask too. After receiving their shift to _buy_ meat today, Lacus decided to receive his new masks he ordered six months ago. Sometimes Mika wondered why Lacus always ordering so much mask and using them on different districts, is it to make doves confused? But sooner or later they found out too, right?

The other thing that troubled Mika is if Lacus forced him to use a new mask just when he starts to liking and comfortable with his current mask. Mika always thinks that changing mask every time they hunt is useless because they can change their kagune's form, but Lacus never listened to him and forced him to wear a new one almost every month. Mika steps inside while half dragged Lacus to come inside the bar and greeted by a woman with bright red-hair.

"Mika-cchi~~ Fancy to see you here… Ah, Lacus-kun if you're searching for Uta he had left, but he did entrust me your masks." Itori said with a cheerful voice and Mika receive a small bag and pass it over to Lacus.

"Itori," Mika called the woman as he sat on one of the tall chairs. "About the Yuu-ch—I mean, an investigator named Hyakuya Yuuichirou.."

"Aaaah… He surely a cute boy~ He's working in this district as Rank 3 Investigator.. Not so special, as he just a low-rank dove, his current teammate are Kimizuki Shihou—Rank 2, Saotome Yoichi—Rank 3, Sanguu Mitsuba—Rank 1, and Hiiragi Shinoa—First-class." Itori mentions all the name as she shows Mika their profile, "This Hiiragi Shinoa is Hiiragi Mahiru's little sister."

Mika raised his eyes and look at the girl in the photo closely, and almost fell from his chair when he remembers the girls that meeting Hide on his rooftop this noon. And then he remembered the girl from District 11 who—probably—burned down her house and ride on the same train with him several days ago.

"This team is currently marking for both of you, what do you do now, Mika-cchi?"

Mika looks at Itori then at Lacus, the man is currently standing beside him looking at those profiles as if he remembering those faces.

"Mika, you know what to do, right?" Lacus ask him with a strange cold voice. "If they are endangering our lives you have to kill them, you listen to me?"

After thanking Itori, Lacus grabs Mika's hand and dragged him out from the bar. Mika didn't bring any photo or even remember every information that Itori just gave him, the fact that Yuu is pursuing him has set him on mental breakdown. Yuu can't know his true identity. Not Yuu.

Lacus assumed that Mika can't drive tonight, so he gets hold the driver's seat and push Mika to enter the car, he hurls the bag full of masks and turn the engine on and drive back to District 13 and to the place they normally go to buy the meat for Touka. Mika didn't talk on the way to the place or even when they do their job to pack the dead bodies to the bag they have prepared, but Mika still does his job even if with dazed eyes. Suddenly, Lacus's hand stop working as he straight his back and looks up.

"Lacus?" Mika finally opens his mouth and fronts upward.

"Mika… you smell that?"

"What?"

"It's Rene's"

"Huh?"

"I told you. It's Rene—"

They hear a pair of steps, stop not far from them.

Their hands pull up the hoodies and put on the mask on their face. Mika looked up after he makes sure his upper-half face has been obsecured through the mask, as he adjusts his sight to the man that still stand in front of them, he noticed a pure white trenched coat, and a case that suddenly turned into a pair of swords and something that looked like a huge bow.

"Lac—"

Before Mika can call his friend and told to head for the hills, he noticed that Lacus was running at the doves with his Kagune ready to pull their body into pieces. Mika clicks his tongue as he gives up the corpse's hand and stand before he concentrated himself to activate his kagune. But, instead of kagune, what's all there was in his head was the sweet scent, and at the back of his head, he can hear a voice whispering him about how it would be nice to take a bite, break the skin, and eat the meat… human meat…

He remembered this sensation of the pain in his limbs like the bones broke in little pieces and pierced his muscles and tendons, how his heart fought to get out of his chest, trying to escape from the torture in his weakened body. His blood seemed to boil and the urge to eat make he can't help but scream as his hand clutched to his head that seemed can explode in a matter of seconds. All the pain and the voice start to scream, make his head pounding wildly, he can hear Lacus's screaming in pain, maybe the doves got him and…

 _Wait, what did they do?_

Mika's raised his gaze and found that Lacus is lying on the ground.

Lacus…

Then his eyes fell on the two doves that stand before Lacus, looking at his personality, Lacus is probably trashing about them as one of them grab him by the collar.

That is the time when Mika can see the face clearly.

The pink haired man with glasses… Kimizuki Shihou.

And the other one who still stands by with his bow-like quinque is Saotome Yoichi…

 **Kimizuki… Shihou?**

 **Saotome…. Yoichi….**

 **Meat…..Human…..Must….Eat… Hahahaha Human… Meat…**

The voice is getting louder and louder, it's no longer a muffled murmur from the back of his mind, but progressively becoming a wild, frenzied shriek.

 **MEAT… HUMAN MEAT! EAT IT! EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT**

The excruciating pain coming from his body and head causes Mika to fell on his knees and clutch his head even harder. He could almost feel him forcefully clawing his way into his consciousness. Spots dance in his vision, and he seems to forget how to inhale.

Mika shut his eyes as he can pick up the auditory sensation of his shoulder's skin prickling, as Kagune that looks like a thorn burst out start's to form a pair of wings, then he can feel a hot sensation as the RC cells form something looks like a blast covering his main Kagune. Mika can hear someone's laughing in the voice which exactly same as his voice, just when he realizes he is the one who is laughing, he also hears someone scream in torment and he felt his teeth broke something soft like a skin and then a sweet liquid fill up his mouth.

 _…..Yuu-chan….._

 _….I'm a monster…._


	8. Dark Scarlet

It was the biggest mistake he ever made in his past four years and if he can, he would take the knife near his bed and cut his wrist or neck with it. But no, a normal knife wouldn't hurt him, and actually, that is a knife for the meal they brought an hour ago. He doesn't feel like to eat something even though he can hear his stomach growling and probably his left eye has turned into kakugan, but he clutches his fingers, feel the blood clothing his tip of the nails and focusing his gaze on everything except the tray.

All Mika wants now is just back to his bedroom in :re's attic and sleep for an entire week.

They said Lacus and Chess brought him here and from what he heard, he makes one of investigator injured badly but not dead.

Mika sighs, hugging the pillow tighter. He glares at the door near his bed as if it insulted him and let out another sigh. Just about one more hour, someone who looks like doctor had told him a little earlier when he complained about why is he must stay here when he's not injured at all. One more hour, eat, and you can go home.

But Mika doesn't even want to spend another one minute in this place, let alone one fucking hour. He told them he's not even injured—everything has healed and he's good except the usual waves of hunger he'd been experiencing on and off for the past eight hours. But he can handle it, as long as they give him his bag, he can drink some coffee with sugar cubes from Krul and everything is gonna be fine, plus, he really hates the smell of disinfectants when it's not even a real hospital.

Krul walks in on him just when he's stopped glaring at the door and attempting to suffocate himself with his pillow. Mika keeps his face buried for a moment longer before looking up upon hearing Krul's footsteps. She approaches him without a word and sat on his bed.

"Morning dear," Krul greets him with her soft smile. Mika tucks his pillow under his chin when he let his gaze travels to her long pink hair that scatters on his bed with some of it touching his bare legs and tickles him. Towards the blond hair boy who is glaring at her, Krul tries to reduce the weird tension in the air before they start having a proper conversation. "It's not your fault, Mika. And you should rest up more after such a long night."

"It's probably 11 a.m.," Mika tells her after a short pause. "… I have a shift at 1 p.m. you don't want Touka-san killed me, do you?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Physically, I'm good. Mentally, I don't think so. But I can handle this with my own."

"You remember anything from last night?" Krul asks carefully, eyeing his lips before let her attention wander to Mika's flocks pale yellow hair and his pair of sapphire blue eyes.

"Not really," he replies, moving to cross his legs as to escape the pink hair from tickles him more. "But I heard that I…. attack one investigator… is he alright? I mean, I know you have a connection and… whatever, don't mind me."

Mika feels his cheek grew hotter as he saw Krul's eyes widened in surprise before she let out small chuckles. It makes him turn his focus on the floor, he shouldn't ask that. He makes another mistake.

"He's fine now," Krul finally enlightens him, "You just bite some part of his shoulder and legs, after one or two weeks I think he can back to work."

Hearing that the investigator safe makes Mika relaxes, it's weird that he actually worrying about a Dove and feeling guilty to almost eat him. Then he remembered some dark alley and a sound of someone screaming and begging for his mercy right before his ear and after that, he woke up in his small room, locked up, and chained to bed before they pushed and forced him to climb up some truck and meet another alley and the scene replaying again and again. This is not the first time as he suddenly feels something like déjà vu.

"Krul…. Why is this happening again? I lose control over myself again after activating my Kagune. You said it'll be fine as long as I drink coffee with your stupid sugar cubes, and actually, I'm doing fine until today… why…?"

Ever since finding out about his own circumstances after what happened back in Hyakuya Orphanage and make Ferid almost died with his both hands stained with blood, he knows something wrong with him except the fact that he becoming a half-ghoul. First, he knew very well that he was born as human. Second, Mahiru or anyone from Sanguinem's lab hasn't done anything to his body before he attacked Ferid. Third, he always black-out and feels a sweet aftertaste of blood in his mouth when he woke up. Everything connected in his brain and with an addition of what happened yesterday, Mika knows he's not even a _normal_ half-ghoul or is it because the Seraph thing in his body?

Mika blinks out of his reverie when Krul grabs both his hands, staring at him imploringly.

"You're doing fine. As for the sugar cube, I told you that it only works to suppress your hunger not make you satisfied or full. You must eat," She says, and Mika feels himself almost break into a smile despite everything, it's reassuring to know that Krul has treated him like a normal person and cared so much about him after everything he did to her.

"Can I trust you, Krul?" Mika asked, shifting his hold to give the young woman's finger a soft squeeze. "I guess you said this just to make sure I feel safe and obey you and your words, but, I met Yuu-chan. He's dove now, and Mahiru-san did tell me about what CCG probably done to him all these years."

"Then, save him like I saved you that time."

"…. So you can use him for your experiments?"

"Mika…"

"Tell me your reason of having Seraph, your personal reason."

It's a wild guess, but Krul looks slightly taken aback. "You really want to know?" she says, sounding utterly dejected with the question. "What can you do for me if I answer you?"

"Hmmm," Mika hums thoughtfully, leaning back as he lets go of his hands and leaning back into the wall. "I was actually planning to take Yuu-chan to a place where you, Sanguinem, CCG, or anyone can't find us. Let me hear your reason to consider which side I should support." He turns and let his cold stare piercing through a pair of rose eyes.

"Then which side are you right now, Mika?"

"Yuu-chan's."

"What if he knows who you are, turn his back on you and throw you to Cochlea?"

"Stupid question... You already know my answer, Krul." Mika breaks into smirk as he cocked his head to mock the pink haired ghoul, "Will you save me if Yuu-chan capture and throw me to Cochlea?"

" _You already know my answer_ , Mikaela _._ " Krul said with a wide smile on her face.

* * *

As he listens to door closed behind his back, he changed into his indoor slippers and prepared two pairs more before hurriedly exited to the living room.

In his 18-year-old life, this moment was the most complicated.

After the news about Yoichi is attacked and injured badly he running all the way to the hospital followed by Shinoa and Mitsuba only to see Kimizuki slapped Shinoa's face and cursing for her incompetence as a squad leader. Yuu can't even opened his mouth and watch as Mitsuba tries her best to separate both of them which end up she punched the taller boy and swear that he will receive bad punishment for this and catches Shinoa from falling to the ground.

The most reassuring part is Yoichi's wound isn't life-threathening and the doctor said he should be fine to back to work after two-three weeks, even if they finally ground out that Pinocchio and Ukaku ghoul is in District 13 whilst they can continue their plan, the team isn't happy at all.

Yuu can't even imagine Guren's reaction when he heard this.

That night, Shinoa told Kimizuki and Yoichi to go to their patrol near the section that she assumed as Pinocchio's hunting area and told them to find them no matter what and run away with some information. She didn't know that Ukaku ghoul would be there too tonight and attack Yoichi, it's her miscalculated. Yuu knows the reason of Kimizuki's action is not about Yoichi, but more about Shinoa didn't tell them any detail about the plan and the fact that Shinoa forgot about their ranks and the ghouls ranks wasn't a good match. At least two First-class investigators needed to face S and A ranked Ghoul.

As pouring Oolong tea to three glasses he took glances towards Kimizuki and Shinoa who sat at dining table. Mitsuba come and help him to prepare some snacks and tries to open up small talk only to be ignored. Shinoa didn't even respond to her sarcastic joke like she always does, it makes Yuu let out a huge sigh.

At any rate, the discussion will be delayed because of this weight tension and Kimizuki is acting strange today.

"Help yourself with the tea—uwaaaah!"

And Yuu accidentally drops the glass as the tea spill out on the table, both Kimizuki and Shinoa jump from the shock and escaping the fluid that is dripping from the edge of the table. Yuu froze at that moment as Mitsuba face palmed.

"… Sorry."

"You have that unique abilty to serve visitors, Yuu-san." Yuu found the smirk back on Shinoa's face as she helped Mitsuba cleaned the table and notice Kimizuki's snort too.

"I bet you guys really like to humiliate me," He grumbled under his breath.

Shinoa turns her back and announced that she wants to change her clothes before they initiate the discussion.

After the Oolong tea accident Shinoa come back to her old self and can't stop to bothering him for every-single-information about his academy era and it makes Yuu wonder where she heard all of it, but it also makes Kimizuki throw some comment that makes him grit his teeth and regretting his stupid action. Of course, he is glad that the weird tension has gone, but he didn't know that he must lose his face and become a target of bullying by these people. Only Mitsuba that seem not interested and sit on the couch busy with a magazine from the tea table in the living room.

Kimizuki brought his glass and sit near Mitsuba and ask her about the procedure of visiting Cochlea. Yuu join them and sit on the arm rest with a mug of coffee and look at locked door near the TV. He wonders why Shinoa chooses his apartment, not their brand new office and then he remembered, Shinoa is called into Associate Special Class Hiiragi Shinya's room and back with darkening atmosphere as her mood changed after that meeting, so it's probably the reason she doesn't want to back to the office for a while.

Yuu felt more disturbed when the door open and Shinoa showed up with a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of over-sized training. Shinoa has been living with him for nearly one week and she always uses short sleeved t-shirt with shorts even when their neighbor stop and told him about some event for next month. Shinoa didn't even make an effort to change clothes and showed them her scars and told them it's from an accident with a sheepish smile.

Is she didn't want her teammates peering about her scars? And so, why is she letting strangers know about that and easily lie to them? Now he thinks about it, is Guren knows about this? Who else knows about her scars? Is Mitsuba really didn't know anything? But what's more important is; are the scars really come from accidents? What kind of accident was it? Why has she shown him the scars, anyway? Does she trust Yuu and believe he won't ask her anything? Then, why Yuu never asks her about the scars up until now?

"Yuu-san… Yuuichirou… Rank 3 Hyakuya Yuuichirou!"

Yuu snaps back to reality and found him staring at Shinoa, the girl put her devilish smile again before asking him, "Do you imagine dirty things about me while I busy sorting up the document?"

"Don't jump into weird consclusion, you make people think I'm that _kind_ of person."

Yuu casts one last glimpse towards the girl who sat with both legs curled before relaxing his back and notice that Kimizuki and Mitsuba join to sit on the floor. It's likely because her usual hair style that Shinoa's hair looks more curly, he constantly thinks that the girl looks better with her hair down like this, but he remembers their job and think it's impossible for a long haired girl to fight with her hair swaying around without being cut by Kagune's movement.

"Let's start with summarizing our development until today," Shinoa announces. "What we know: 1. This Pinocchio ghoul is one of a member Pinocchio group and reappearing again after his friend killed by Narumi's squad two years ago, 2. Both Pinocchio group and Pinocchio ghoul's hunting area don't have any significant pattern and they always attack us—investigator rather than civilians. 3. Pinocchio's ghoul has assistance or backup member, the Ukaku ghoul which is probably the last member of Pinocchio's group because what happen to the third one if Pinocchio ghoul is here to avenge their friend. Then, thanks to Yoichi that we finally found out mysterious ghoul come to a place that is far from the heart of the district and probably a place where every desperate person ends their life and jump off from the abandoned buildings, and then some of the investigators saw a ghoul with Pinnochio's mask hanging around near that area. That is why I told Kimizuki and Yoichi to patrol that area today, and we hit the jackpot."

Shinoa let her gaze wanders and found the third of them nods, and continue, "What I told you all: 1. Yuu-san and I found out Pinocchio group's base and found out there are three of them and they meet with someone that is probably from Sanguinem's group which is positive sign that they related to each other, 2. Ukaku ghoul is probably living outside District 13 and only come here to help Pinocchio's ghoul action, whether their former friends or not, 3. I told Yoichi to inform you guys about my guess that Ukaku ghoul's identity is probably the ghoul from No. 108 case, and Yoichi even found it weird and inform you guys about that mysterious ghoul disappearing right before Pinocchio's ghoul start killing our comrades."

"So there's something that you haven't told us?" Kimizuki ask and wrinkles his brow, "Why did you do that First-class Hiiragi Shinoa?"

"… I don't think it's necessary as I don't know that Pinocchio ghoul would really appear tonight, and we can still continue gathering information while I'm searching what is true and not with this information." Shinoa says as she let her gaze down.

"Wait… what does that supposed to mean?" Yuu asks and grabs Shinoa's shoulder.

"Shinoa use informant." Mitsuba is the one who answers that as Shinoa scrolling up something on her phone.

Yuu blinks blankly as starring to the lilac-haired girl as she put her phone down and took one deep breath. She gazed at the phone screen with an intense stare as if she burns a hole straight through her phone screen and he could almost see the gears turning in the girl's brain as she processes the words from documents or information she bought.

"Okay." She put a wide grin on her face. "First of all, I apologize for hiding this important information from you all and causing Yoichi and Kimizuki faced dangerous ghoul with little information and vague order. And for Micchan, sorry I sold your apartment to Hide-san to buy this and you can live with me as I already found new apar—no, it's more like a mansion."

"SHINOA!" Mitsuba stands up from her seat, her eyes full of murderous intent as Shinoa keeps her grin like sunshine ray.

"Have you ever heard about a rabbit can die because of loneliness?"

"You're not a rabbit! Don't involve me with your weird world!"

Shinoa smile became even wider as noticed Mitsuba's face become redder as regretting what she have said, "I always want to live with you since our academy era, if I don't live with my sister I would do everything I can to live with you in the dorm."

Mitsuba points her finger at the girl and yell, "That's not what I wanted to hear?! Why you… what I have done to make you do such a thing!"

"You did nothing," Shinoa blinks in a creepy innocent expression as she continues "I just want to live with my beloved friend, that's all."

" _This_ isn't what a friend would do, and I think _you_ should consult with Dr. Shiba about _your_ _personality_ and _your head_." Mitsuba groaned and curled her fingers into a fist when she notice Shinoa just raised one of her eyebrows as a response.

"I'm surprised that you actually cared about my mental health, Micchan." Shinoa really doesn't understand or maybe pretending to not notice that Mitsuba just insult her, Yuu suddenly pity Mitsuba for meeting and knowing her long enough to make the girl can easily mess with her life. "Please sit down… I can't continue if you stand like that. We can continue later if you want."

Mitsuba fell into deep silence and before she can open her mouth Shinoa cut her off with, "Now, Hide-san told me almost everything I need about this Ukaku ghoul, he called Knight among ghouls as he always works as bodyguard or protecting something or someone. He is part of Pinocchio's group and the strongest one, he also called _Binge eater from District 13_ before he joined Pinocchio. His kakuhou type is Ukaku, he joined Sanguinem about 4 years ago or the exact time when case 108 happen, no information about where he lived before. Hide-san was former Division 2 in this commission and he told me that this Knight ghoul's rank now about S~. Plus, Knight lives in District 13 and actually a right hand of Sanguinem's leader."

"Wait… looking at the ranks doesn't this case should be handed to a higher rank investigator?" Kimizuki asked.

"Ah, that. Yes, we can't handle them alone, that's why the original plan is us helping another squad to solve the case and catch the ghoul, but, if you think Associate special class Ichinose didn't consider the risk about the newborn squad to face this case then you're wrong. He knows we can't face them alone, that's why we need to learn what teamwork is. Remember the first mission he gave us? _In one week I want all of you become close enough to not let others died in a mission._ " Shinoa shrugged her shoulder and play with her hair as looking right through Kimizuki's eyes.

As she read the change in Kimizuki's eyes Shinoa continues, "Plus, he knows we bear high-rank quinque and a product of Special-class Hiiragi Mahiru's experiment so… it's not our rank that matters it is our ego and pride because he know how strong this squad members are. If you have any complaint more than that then why you join Hiiragi department in the first place? Washuu department is the one who let works under strict law and won't send a Rank 1 investigator to face SS rank ghoul alone."

"I personally don't think Associate special class Ichinose would give us a difficult case without a reason behind it," Mitsuba says as if she wants to cut Shinoa's words but fail at the last moment.

"Also, we have Micchan and Kimizuki-san who is more competence and full of experience, Yoichi-san who is a previous member of Division 2, and Yuu-san who is really good using his quinque even if he just a mere Rank 3," Shinoa said with a gentle voice.

"Don't forget about the famous Goddess of Death First-class Hiiragi Shinoa."

Shinoa stares at Yuu, slightly bewildered. "How did you know? Am I that famous? Or you…"

"Stop! You make me regret what I have said." Yuu pouts and notice smile on Mitsuba and Kimizuki's face. Really, if it's about bullying him everyone suddenly become intimate.

"Now, let's talk about what we have to do after this… actually, I'm surprised you haven't said anything about avenging Yoichi-san, Yuu-san." Shinoa said purposely put a different tone when she pronounces his name.

"You're the one wh—"

"There's two ways… first is waiting for the ghoul to attack us again and second, assuming their next step and trap them." Kimizuki said as he cuts off a protest coming from Yuu's mouth.

"As expected from someone who love to work the nasty job!" Shinoa cheered. "Waiting would only make _this_ person explode and start shouting _I WILL KILL ALL GHOULS,_ so I think we should choose the second one."

"… Stop pointing your fingers at me!" Yuu protested.

"What's the plan, then?" Mitsuba say with a frown.

"Do you guys know the reason why Pinocchio and Knight attack Aihara squad?" Shinoa ask with unusual light tones.

"Attention?" Yuu tries to guess and greeted with a surprised stare from Shinoa.

"Wow… there is a _real brain_ in your head, Yuu-san"

"SHUT IT!"

"And yes.. Pinocchio wants our attention distracted to District 11 and make us assuming that he moved his territory there that's why he or they make more than one attack which is enough to make everyone panic and call for help to the main office. If it's their motive, then why attack Yoichi-san and Kimizuki-san today?" Shinoa looked at Yuu waiting the raven haired pull a surprise answer again.

"Because it seems that we still focused in 13?"

"No. You may not believe me, but they seemed not expecting we come today." Kimizuki open his mouth, "I felt both of their movement strange as if hiding something…"

"… Hiding something… well, that means we will have another ambush if they want us to be silenced. If they found Kimizuki-san wandering around the city I bet they'll fall to our bait," Shinoa put a smirk and immediately add, "We'll discuss the plan tomorrow along with Yoichi-san because we don't know if he had a better idea than us." And with that, Shinoa warped the meeting up.

"Now, I must back to hospital and told Yoichi about this," Kimizuki says as he stands up and exiting the room. Mitsuba follows him, "I left my key in our office," is what she said and Shinoa informs her to pack everything after this case closed. Mitsuba gave the girl a glare as response.

"You really sold her apartment for that?" Yuu asks.

"No. I sold her apartment to buy this new mansion. Look, I don't have so much money to buy a huge mansion which can contain all of us and it's near from office only 3 minutes by walking." She said and folds her hands behind her back and looking at Kimizuki and Mitsuba busy checks everything on their pocket coat after changing into their shoes.

"Why you buy such a huge mansion in the first place?" Yuu said after a long sigh.

"Because when you need a place to go and called home, you can come to that mansion."

Shinoa visibly brightens up and waving at Kimizuki and Mitsuba close the door, the most surprising part is Shinoa oozes so much positive energy that make even Kimizuki and Mitsuba's expression brightens. They probably heard what she said.

Yuu holds the urge to ask about the scars, but then he didn't want to broke such a good atmosphere and can only look at the girl as she removes the long sleeved t-shirt and leaving only black tank tops. She walks to her room and glances at him out of the corner of her eyes.

" _Oyasumi_ , Yuu-san."

* * *

The good thing is Touka isn't glaring at him.

Probably bad thing is Lacus is the one who glaring at him.

Mika had brought everything with him after escaping the branch base of Sanguinem ten blocks from :re that consist of the news that he and Lacus is expected to guard Eusford mansion next month because the possible ambush coming from Dove and a gift from Chess—his mask and Lacus's Pinocchio mask inside his bag.

"Why you left your mask?" Mika ask as he walks and passed the table with high school girls and notice a soft murmur about a plan asking him out after this.

"I have tons of them. It won't affect anything if I lost one." Lacus answer with a low tone as he took some glances to three doves sit down near the counter, Mika notice that as he nodding at Touka who told him to change his clothes and get back to work.

"Why are you glaring at me?" Mika asks when he notices Lacus bitter expression remain the same in this past fifteen minutes.

He knows Lacus has something to tell him, probably about last night as he finally knew Mika was letting himself starving and clinging over a stupid sugar cube. Ever since Krul put Mika under his surveillance, he knows that Mika is one of the famous one-eyed ghoul and something that always make Hiiragi Mahiru's eyes smiling at him whenever he inform her about Mika's wellbeing and Lacus find it strange as the blond always eat lesser than he and Rene and he must force him to eat or at least drink some blood before engaging battle.

"Because you start to starve yourself... again," Lacus answered with a mocking smirk.

Mika stared at him blankly, then places his arms over the counter table.

"Mind your own business."

"Still want me to stop?" Lacus says after serving one customer with a smile and pass him the order. "One caramel latte. take away."

"You messed up and Krul also wants you to stop playing with doves and do your job.. but, I guess you won't listen after they found us wandering here." Mika replies with a soft voice as working on the order and listening to Touka's order to tell Yomo make another sandwich for table 10, Mika pass the words to the silver haired man from the window. "So… you want to silence them?"

"Obviously." Lacus said with a cold voice and serve another costumer as Mika served the caramel latte to young women and bow to her as she disappeared into the front door and passed one plate of sandwich to Touka.

"I'm surprised you're actually helping him out not stop him." Touka raised one eyebrow and give Mika one smirk before turn her heels and proceeding to the table 10.

"Is avenging Rene means everything to you?"

"I take that as you want me to kick your ass and throw you to doves office, Shindou." Lacus tells him and left the cashier table and flips his apron. "Make some excuses for me. Oh, Mika.. you can have that Pinocchio mask, I don't need it."

"Where you going?" asked Mika but Lacus remain silent as he enters the employee room behind the bookshelf.

"Ah.. Mika.. Someone from table 24 wants to meet you, let me handle the rest, but make sure you come back or tell me if you want to take outside. Where's Lacus?" Touka suddenly appears and make Mika switch his attention back to her.

"Out. Don't know where. Table 24? Okay."

Mika works to mentally prepare himself for the confrontation as he makes his ways towards the other end of the shop where table 2 placed. This place is a special one with more deceit and secrets. If someone wants to meet him at table 2 that means it's from Sanguinem, Mika can't help but tsking as he doesn't want to encounter anyone after what happen last night and his nice and warm conversation with Krul. But then he can't help but gazed at the blue haired girl who greet him with a bright smile.

"Chess…" Mika greets her with a polite bow. He stands before Chess grab his hand and pull him to sit beside her.

"Say, Mikaela… are you ready for the main attraction?" Chess returns with a grin, she put her hand on Mika's chin forcing him to look at her. "Is Lacus already go for the hunt?"

"Please speak with human language." Chess chuckles at Mika's sarcastic joke, "You do tell him something about dove's movement, don't you?"

Chess shakes her head, averting her gaze. "That's cruel.. I just warned him not to use main road because there's two pair of doves looking for him and you."

"No thanks to you he's out and probably want to play with them." Mika said and let go of Chess hold on his arm and chin. He waits, watching her expression fill with amusement as she stands and grab her shoulder bag.

"Let's go and watch, Mikaela."

"No, I… I still have some work to do here, I'll catch up later." Mika said while putting a smile. He resists the urge to fidget as Chess stares at him, her dark red eyes studying him with such intensity that he's almost sure she's going to bore a hole in his face.

"You seem a little off today," she observes, "Did Krul-sama scold you? Or are you afraid of hurting some doves again?"

"Is there anything new about Krul scolding someone, especially me?" Mika responds with as much joviality he could muster. "Please make sure Lacus is still alive because he still has a lot work to do."

"Sure." Chess tells him and Mika just about to congratulate himself for the successful evasion when he notices her subtle look of sympathy. "I really miss the time when you first join Lacus's team, Mikaela. Even if it's harder to talk and make a contact with you but… you really care about your comrades."

 _That's not my real intent, though,_ Mika wants to answer, but doesn't because it's amazing how it only takes one sentence for him to give up on putting up his usual front.

"A lot of things did happen,." He said in a low voice, raking his fingers through his hair. Chess nods in understanding and Mika knows she's thinking about that incident when they lost Rene. It's strange how ghouls treat their kind whom considered comrades and treat them as a real family, of course, some people like Ferid is out of the question, but it makes Mika wonder if the gloomy atmosphere near Chess is a real one, not just an act, and is Lacus anger and grief is really for Rene not for documents that man brought with him that day.

"Well then," Chess takes a step back. "I'll tell you if something bad happens."

"Please be careful." Mika agrees.

"See you later, Hyakuya Mikaela-kun."

Mika offers her one last smile before bowing politely as Chess bouncing to the front door and close it with a soft ring of a bell.

 _He's working in this district as Rank 3 Investigator.. Not so special, as he just a low-rank dove, his current teammate are Kimizuki Shihou—Rank 2, Saotome Yoichi—Rank 3, Sanguu Mitsuba—Rank 1, and Hiiragi Shinoa—First-class._

 _Hyakuya Yuuichirou… He still alive… and top of it, he's dove. I bet you already know about this, Mika. I think it's obvious. He is dangerous. Once he knows your identity, he'll kill you and then he would find out Kirishima-san and others are ghoul too._

 _This team is currently marking for both of you, what do you do now, Mika-cchi?_

 _Mika… you smell that? It's Rene's_

 _I really miss the time when you first join Lacus's team, Mikaela. Even if it's harder to talk and make a contact with you but… you really care about your comrades._

 _RENE DIED BECAUSE HE PROTECTED US! MIKA IS STILL STANDING HERE NOW IS THE RESULT OF HIS SACRIFICE SO YOU BETTER SAID YOUR GRATITUDE TO HIM, KRUL TEPES._

 _Oh, it's nothing big. I've marked my new target and your job is only making his friends don't come to help._

Itori, Lacus, and Chess voice filling his brain as Mika quietly shut his eyes and clutching his finger together. He dashes towards employee room and notice a small smile on Touka face before the door shuts behind him, he quickly changes into black parka and let his white shirt and founds that Lacus didn't bring his Pinocchio mask with him.

"That moron."

Mika grabs his mask and shoved it into parka's huge pocket and exiting :re from its back door and run towards the main roads he always hate while grabbing the front hood and which can protect almost upper half of his face when he notices a black hair on the opposite road talking with a blond hair girl.

Mika followed both of them without even bother to conceal himself as he need to let them know he is behind. Chess is probably on her way to Lacus's place and he needs to buy some time for both of them.

"We've been followed, Yuu. It's probably Knight." Mitsuba said with a surprisingly calm voice. "Stop, _baka_. Don't make eye contact. What do we do?"

"Eh… I should've listened to Shinoa to warm my body up before this."

Mitsuba can't help but smile, she glances at some place with less people and notice the reconstruction area two blocks ahead and reaching pressing one button on her earphone and inform the squad leader that they'll be late.

"Don't die."

Yuu also smile when he listens to Kimizuki's voice and nodding at Mitsuba as placing his thumbs on his case preparing for battle, as they leave the main roads and entering the reconstruction area Yuu quickly activate his Quinque followed with _click_ -sound the case grew longer, thinner and heavier in his hand. In half a second Yuu held a shimmering black-red katana, a leather-wrapped grip. The weapon felt balanced in his hand. Yuu looks Mitsuba is ready with her gigantic axe and face a ghoul with white knight-like mask standing 10 meters in front of them.

"You have any last words before I cut your head off, Mr. Knight?" Yuu tries to provoke the ghoul.

The answer is the ghoul run towards them with his kagune which looks like a thorn pierce through his clothes and thick parka and spread like a wing behind his shoulder and shots a crystal-like RC cells to Yuu and Mitsuba but they quickly jump and dodging all the RC cell.

As expected from Ukaku type, even if it was a 2-on1 situation, he elegantly dodges attacks both from Yuu and Mitsuba and reply them with a fist or kick and quickly make some distance to attack them with a rain of RC cell again. As attacking together slowly become a hindrance than a help, Mitsuba suggesting to become a support and protect him from RC cell attack with her huge axe whilst Yuu stand in the front lines and attack him with his katana.

As if noticing the different pattern of attack, Knight is slowly using his Kagune to attack and become a shield and Yuu notice it's gritting his teeth and can't help but smile. _We can do this,_ he thinks. Then, the blue-colored kagune cut his shoulder.

At the same time a cold hand passed over his heart and he can hear Mitsuba shouting his name with horror as she stands in between them and forcing the Ghoul to take a step back. Before she can ever ask about the wound, Yuu shoving his head and focused on his target.

Yuu forced a huge breath to steady himself, so this is what people felt when facing a strong Ghoul. It's probably 10 minutes passed but he already breathing heavily and Yuu can feel his heartbeat knocking at his chest as his head can't stop pounding in panic and fearing to lose and become a burden for Mitsuba. But look at that bastard, he can stand with calm posture and openly in front of them.

"Fucking S rank."

Yuu shifting his katana and watched the enemy, kagune behind his shoulder is shifting to a small wing almost look like a butterfly wing as it warped behind fire-like RC cell coming from his body. You wait for a rain but then the ghoul suddenly appears in front of him Yuu swung the katana horizontally as it meets with the kagune which suddenly become as hard as metal. He forces the katana swinging right suddenly sprang, as if forced by a spring, lift up and almost hits the ghoul's heart but the figure disappeared in last second.

"BAKA YUU!" Before Yuu's body react to the sudden loud voice he hears a loud klang and found Mitsuba stand behind his back. "Do it, Tennouji." She said in a low voice and swing the gigantic weapon to hit the ground, the knock of the weapon against the hard soil sent debris and dust into the air, behind those debris Yuu can notice a dark scarlet colored kagune moves to catch Knight. Mitsuba looked around, but the dust made it impossible to see where Knight go or if her attack hits the ghoul or not.

"What was that…" Yuu can't help but ask and Mitsuba looked at him with an expression as if he just talks with Latin language.

"No time to explain, but it's probably something you boys called Skill when playing RPG." She said.

"Looks like you've caught a nice tight game, there.. Knight-san."

When the dust disappears Yuu notices two figure stands before him. One, is of course Knight and Yuu almost congratulate himself as he saw the ghoul's parka has gone and he can easily see the white shirt stained with blood from several wounds on the arm and the ghoul's side.

"Cinderella…" Mitsuba's tone is really out of her character when the second ghoul no longer look like a silhouette as Yuu can see the blue one-piece dress and pure white obscuring upper-half of her face. "Oh… that investigator from District 20,how have you been?" The ghoul ask with surprisingly friendly tone.

"How's Pinocchio?" Knight asks as he placed his hand on Cinderella's shoulder.

"Save."

"Let's go. We have nothing to do again, here."

"Eeeeh?! I want to play with them too.. the other party is making me bored to death."

It was suddenly difficult to breathe and the scenery before his eyes turned into pure white and Yuu found he sprinted forward, quinque tightly gripped in his hand as he felt something crawling under his skin but he ignored the odd sensation and readying his katana.

 _What's your name?_

 _How about you gave me one, you're my master after all._

 _I'm bad at choosing a name._

 _Asuramaru… My ex-master called me Asuramaru. Call my name, and I shall give you my power._

Yuu still can't believe and think that quinque is something like magic gear from any manga he ever read, and after seeing Mitsuba did with her quinque he want to try something like that too. But before he can call his quinque name something kicked him in the chest. Yuu cried out and fell, he lost his quinque in the process.

His chest seemed to burn and the pain spread to his whole body in a matter of second, whenever he tries to move it only made it hurt more. The sensation is totally different from when Guren kicked him when he first breaking the rule, Yuu biting his lips to not let any scream or cry escape his mouth. Mitsuba run and kneels beside him, help him to straight his back and notice that the ghouls gone.

"Sorry, I'll let them go." Mitsuba said, her eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

Yuu nodded. "Kimizuki…. Shinoa…"

"They're okay."

Yuu can't help but smile as he relaxes and feel Mitsuba's warm hand on his back, he looks at the girl and meet with a pair of round violet eyes. "Guren will scold us."

* * *

When Guren opened his eyes, he found himself in his office the clock show him it almost midnight and groaned at the tower of paperwork. Gift from Shigure this morning.

"You forgot our promise, Guren."

A voice sounded from the corner of his darkroom.

A girl's voice which he had heard before.

Guren looked in that direction, and when moonlights from the window behind his desk showed up and let its silver ray showered into his room Guren finally found the girl.

Beautiful ashen hair, red eyes looking at him with a soft smile on her face.

Guren felt his heart stop beating.

It was Mahiru.

Hiiragi Mahiru.


	9. Headquarter

When Guren opened his eyes, he found himself in his office. The clock shows him it's almost midnight and groaned at the tower of paperwork which is a special gift from Shigure this morning.

"You forgot our promise, Guren."

A voice sounded from the corner of his darkroom.

A girl's voice which he had heard before.

Guren looked in that direction and when the moonlights from the window behind his desk showed up and let its silver ray showered in his room he finally found the girl.

Beautiful ashen hair, red eyes looking at him with a soft smile on her face.

Guren felt his heart stop beating.

It was Mahiru.

Hiiragi Mahiru.

Guren stared at her, not sure of what to say after a long time. Mahiru broke the silence again with, "How is Shinoa-chan?"

Guren did ponder about the attitude that he should adopt towards her, it also makes him want to laugh at a sudden weird tension and atmosphere in this room after saying, "Annoying as always. Anyway.. It's been a while, Mahiru-sama." And bowed his head.

Actually, he could see a small shock reflecting from the pair or beautiful red eyes before Mahiru reply, "You usually call me only with Mahiru. What's with that attitude?"

Guren just smiled and answered, "The situation was different and no matter what you do, you still have that Hiiragi's blood flowing inside your vein, and as a mere Ichinose I think it's obvious for me to call you with sama or do you prefer me—"

"Enough of that."

Guren closes his hanging mouth. Maybe, it is a really bad idea to tease her right now, "So.. are you here just to ask me how's your beloved sister doing?"

Mahiru then smiled. Not the usual innocent smile, but a beautiful smile that was tinged with sorrow and somehow it reminds him of Shinoa. "I looked up at the team where you put Shinoa in and I don't know if you intend to surprise me or what, but you put Hyakuya Yuuichirou and Sanguu Mitsuba too. Well, Sanguu Mitsuba it's fine, Shinoa likes her, but... I thought you already get rid of Hyakuya Yuuichirou just as we talked about."

Looking at Mahiru's angry face, Guren said nothing. Right now, he didn't possess the power that would allow him to object or argue with her, the reason is because he made a big mistake and not realize it until today. He can't help but cursing himself, then recalled the day when Mahiru decided to leave the commission for him.

 _I'll find a way to crush Hiiragi house. Wait for me, Guren._

Then they agree to crush Hyakuya Church and gave the children to Sanguinem's group hoping the ghoul would kill all of them. Reality hits him by the time he realizes that he let Hyakuya Yuuichirou lives and found out that Hyakuya Mikaela or now under the identity of Shindou Mikaela is still alive. Guren can't help but smile at this fact, after all, this time, they always take a similar wrong move.

"Should I be the one who asks you why you let that your lovely blond-haired boy lives?"

Mahiru nodded and said, "I think he can be the greatest weapon for us. He is Seraph after-all. Then how about your lovely troublesome son, Guren?"

"Son? Since when he becomes my son? I don't remember slept with other girls besides you. And… I don't know. He's stupid, reckless and just as annoying as your sister, but he cherished his friends and comrades more than anything. I just pity him but I don't know that brat can be this strong. I'm currently hiding him from Hiiragi house and of course, I won't let that Kureto know."

Mahiru suddenly kept quiet, an uncomfortable silence went by in the room, and because of that, they noticed the presence of a clock in the room. The beating of the second needle makes Mahiru open her mouth and began with, "Kureto-niisan.. is he planning something again now?"

"I will jump out of this window if he doesn't."

"Stop joking around, Guren. I heard that he's calling every best investigator to district 1 since last week. Whatever it is, please keep the team where you put Yuuichirou's in didn't participate."

"I can't promise you that. He knows that I make a new squad with two princesses and you know I can't say no to him, and whose fault is that?"

Mahiru looked hard at Guren. But he didn't know what she wanted to say for now or even what he wanted to hear from her. After these long 5 years of separation, Guren can easily recognize the gap between the girl and himself that didn't change and for some reason it makes Guren smiled and said, "You've become strong and beautiful, haven't you?"

On hearing that, Mahiru smiled happily, "And a thug like you has learned how to flatter a woman's heart?"

"I'm just telling you the truth.."

"I'm happy to find you haven't changed at all, Guren."

"You should meet Shinoa. I bet you already know about the mansion and.." Guren said and try to keep his expression flat at seeing a clear shocked face of Mahiru. "She currently lives with that Yuuichirou, I can give you the address if you want to."

On hearing that, Mahiru's expression turned sad again. "…No.. She hates me."

"Do you really think that Shinoa hates you?"

Mahiru then shook her head, and as before she said sorrowfully, "...No, but… I don't want to break everything she had now. I-I'll find and meet her when the time is right and explain everything."

Mahiru looked intently at Guren before turned around, facing her back to him.

"Ah.. yeah.. don't worry. I won't forget our promise," Guren said to her back. He could tell from her back that she quivered. Her feet stopped and after muttering thank you without turning around, Mahiru left the room.

Guren stared in the direction of the door from where she had disappeared, with a dull face he stared at the empty space at the white wall and muttered. "What promise you did remember, jerk."

* * *

 **Hey, Yuuichirou. Do you know what my favorite food is?**

 _Uuuh… Human flesh._

 **Stupid. How am I eating a human flesh with my current condition?**

 _Why am I talking to you again? You've been messing and pissing me off every time I tried to have good dreams and nice sleep._

 **Well, because I'm bored.**

 _I'm still 100% sure it's not manga's world._

 **Haha, of course, it's not.**

 _Then what are you?_

 **Me? I'm your quinque**

 _Hahaha, funny._

 **You make me miss my former master.**

 _Oh, you have that? Who is it?_

 **Hiiragi Mahiru**

 _Hi-Hiragii Mahiru? Wait.. who was that again? Ah.. the special class. Really? You really that strong?_

 **Oh, I am. Actually, I'm her first creation. She is the one who makes me ended up like this. I like it somehow, you don't have to feel any pain, hunger, and you got your monthly feed without fail.**

 _Uh.. what? Monthly feed?_

 **You should really know that I'm special.. your friend's quinque too. They make me… make us kill all the ghouls without worrying about damaged quinque because put living ghouls and let them eat its own consciousness just like a demon and if one of these projects become damaged goods they can kill them by calling it a ghoul that need to exterminate.**

 _Wait. Wait a second. I don't understand. Are they trying to make humans become ghouls or something?_

 **Don't ask me. Ask your friends. Ah, it's time to wake up, Yuuichirou.**

 _—_ _Wait! About the name.. is that okay for me to call you Asuramaru?_

 **Do as you want… master.**

Yuu whimpered slightly as he woke up, his body protesting as the movement aggravated the pain lingering from the fight the day before. He blinked at that thought registered, staring blankly at the ceiling as the memory of the disaster that happens yesterday.

Well, at least, he somehow manages to keep Mitsuba safe from any scratches or broken bones and it makes him proud, but the other party—Kimizuki and Shinoa isn't as lucky as them as they receive some deep cuts. Luckily, none of them was life threatening and as long as they keep it easy they should be fine. Then, he remembered Yoichi's face when he saw him after the fight, it is full of concern and sorrow, and Yuu knows that Yoichi keeps blaming himself as he is the one who suggest the strategy.

 _"_ _If only I were there to back you guys up, I think it won't end up like this, I was stupid to suggest that stupid plan. I'm sorry."_

He and probably they all finally knows that working alone or even in a pair isn't a good idea when you have a whole squad and it's easier to fight when you know you have someone watching your back, sides and from your very blind-spot. He wonders if they faced Pinocchio or that Knight ghoul with the whole member would they win or still lose?

Slowly he sat up, clutching at his upper stomach as he feels a huge wave of nausea and hunger went through him and he wondered what on earth was going on. The last thing he remembered is he took a super late dinner with Shinoa and then fall asleep before he knows it. So, what's this feeling like he haven't eaten for weeks?

"Yuu-san?" The quiet voice made him jump and he had to bite back a curse.

"Uh..um. Yeah. I'm awake." He replied.

"I just want to inform you that Associate Special Class Ichinose wants to meet us at his office at 9."

"Okay. Just.. don't you dare make any breakfast when I'm not around the kitchen or living room."

Then he heard a soft chuckle followed by a sweet honey voice, "How _rude_ of you."

As soon as he sure the girl has gone to watch TV or probably back to her room Yuu sighed heavily, quiet-mode Shinoa is creeping him. Cautiously Yuu padded to the door and slipped out heading towards the bathroom. Although Shinoa seems to not care, but he doesn't want to be seen right now. He took some glance to the lilac hair girl who sat still with empty eyes looking at the television screen before stepping into the bathroom.

Yuu can't help but curse at the familiar sweet fragrance from the living room which makes his stomach growl. It can be Shinoa stole the last piece of cake he bought few days ago, determined to get back and give the culprit a nice lesson for eating his favorite cake, Yuu stepping across to the basin and washed his face before glancing up at his reflection and pausing with a frown. His skin was a bit paler than normal and every minor cut and bruises on his face were all gone. He looks a lot better than the last time he checked himself in the mirror which is less than 7 hours ago. He glanced at his chest feeling dread fills in his chest and take a very deep breathe, he expecting pain engulfing his body as the doctor did mention about a broken rib but he feels nothing. Yuu raised his gaze once more to stare at himself in the mirror, staggering back as his right eye changed into black and red color.

"Eh?... What?" He whispered, watching with a mixture of awe and terror as his normally bright green eye now dyed crimson, his stomach growls again as he looking at the bathroom door, and he can hear voices of people laughing from the TV in the living room with a soft whisper mentioning about something. Yuu turns his head again to the mirror, raising trembling hands towards it as though expecting it's just a hallucination or something but nothing happens. And yet the mirror clearly showed his right eye were now a deep crimson color with black sclera, the color of Ghoul's eyes.

He quickly raised his hand and opens the wooden cabinet behind the mirror and grabs a small container which contains the pills from Guren. Yuu swallows two of them in panic and grabs the basin's edge with a tight grip while bowing his head, trying to calm his shallow breath and rushing heartbeats. After a few minutes, he'd managed to force himself to raise his face, only to find that his eyes had returned to their normal color. Frightened, he'd checked his own temperature, almost hoping that he fell sick with a high fever, so that he could blame whatever he's seen on that but his temperature was normal.

What the hell is happening.

Taking a deep breath Yuu peers cautiously into the living room and spots Shinoa still acting like a dead zombie in front of television. He then walks towards the kitchen and prepare their unhealthy breakfast which is a leftover curry from the landlady and some of the fast food they bought from convenience store two days ago.

"I'm still surprised you cook all these," Shinoa exclaims as glancing at the table. Yuu quickly cleans his hands before walking over and settling down on an unoccupied seat, a filled plate already placed before him and in front of a seat where Shinoa always sit.

"I'm still surprised that you can't even do this. You almost make my kitchen on fire last time I let you cook." Yuu tells her, smiling.

Shinoa takes a seat and muttering _itadakimasu_ before scoops some rice and curry sauce into her mouth. "But you just reheat the leftovers and our fast foods, right?" Shinoa said with a sly smile on her face.

"Well, at least, I never set my kitchen on fire in the process."

"You stay in the bathroom for quite a long time just now, did you just—" before Shinoa could finish her sentence and ruin the good mood Yuu quickly cut her out and ask, "Shinoa, is it weird that I have a dream about a boy who claims that he is my quinque?"

Shinoa blinked twice before let a wide smile spreading on her face. "Luckily you ask me because if you ask someone else, everyone will start to wonder about your mental health. And yes. It is not weird, I sometimes talk to Shii-chan too."

"Who's this Shii-chan?"

"Does it concern you? The boy in your dream."

"Yes. Really."

"Don't worry. We're not using a normal quinque for the start, we used my sister's creation or what people called cursed gear."

"Huh? Why cursed?"

"Because it does not only contain a kakuhou of ghoul, but also a ghoul itself."

"Haa?"

"What I say is.. Special Class Hiiragi Mahiru hasn't only planting a kakuhou inside the core of quinque but also the ghoul's body itself... if you ask me how or is it even possible or not well, I know nothing—no one knows. With this, the quinque can't be broken and always regenerating itself, and have kind of.. Special skill doesn't like the normal one. On the negative side, every time they told you to take your quinque to check the quality or fix minor damages it's actually the time when your quinque is fed by something from quinque development department."

"What the fu—"

"As for why they are appearing in our dreams or talk to us, like your case it is the side-effect of how often you using it and also the ghoul's gene that flowing in our body—remember the very first test to use your quinque? Those what-so-called serums and difficult tests are things that one investigator has to do to use this quinque. Because this weapon can eat its own consciousness and cause some mental disorder."

"Are you watching too much anime?"

"Sadly, I don't really have time to watch any lately."

"This smells and sounds like a fiction story."

"Is it? My bad. I should have considered the fact that your brain can't really divide what is fiction or reality. Let's hurry it almost eight o'clock."

"Okay," Yuu said, his eyes flickering to the clock on the wall. "Let's hope and pray that Guren is in a good mood today."

"You bet."

* * *

"I just have one question for you all."

It seems like Guren **ISN'T** in a good mood after all. He's wearing kind of expression when all of the people are teasing him or force him to wear a stupid neon pink coat to the office for a week—Yuu tried hard to not laugh when imagining that. He can't really blame Guren or said that he's acting like a teenage girl on their period because some of them are late—he and Shinoa—and because he saw Kimizuki and surprisingly Yoichi with some band aid and bandages covering their wounds. He looks at Shinoa from the corner of his eyes and notice the girl's shoulder is too stiff for Hiiragi Shinoa's level.

"I know I made a big mistake by putting you on the charge, Shinoa. Can you explain to me what is this?" He said with a stack of papers in his hand. Yuu didn't even know someone already write the report and give it to Guren.

"This squad's failure, sir." Shinoa said in surprisingly quiet voice.

"Failure? You said this is a failure? This report doesn't belong to my table, or even shigure's table. It's belong to the trash bin. DID I MAKE THIS TEAM TO PLAY DETECTIVE GAME? ARE YOU GUYS JUST PLAYING AROUND PRETENDING TO BECOME A SHERLOCK HOLMES AND WATSON THIS PAST TWO WEEKS? If you guys just want to play around just go home already. Shinoa, do you ever think why I always told you to observe and supervising people rather than sending you to the front lines? It is because you lack empathy, you never want to know what happen to people near you not to mention your family members. Here I am, thinking that after you can make Yuu-brat stops making any problem you probably change and I give you the chance to face an actual fight. This is your answer?"

"Sorry, sir." Shinoa said that with a very low voice, almost whispering.

"Associate Special-class Ichinose.. may I?"

Yuu's voice caught the attention from Guren's violet eyes and everyone inside the room. Yuu can notice his teammates told him to shut his mouth before it's too late, but he really wants to let his thought out before Guren scold everyone or even beat him up.

"We really sorry for our mistake. Somehow.. I know that you weren't mad because we let the ghouls go, but because we hurt ourselves in the process. I really know that you just told us to collect information not to kill or catch the ghoul, am I wrong? And also, saying sorry is not enough because we disappoint you.. no. everyone in Hiiragi's department or maybe CCG itself. Shinoa may not act like a good and true leader but.. the one you should blame is me. I mean, I... actually I... realize it in the first place that you never want to give us this mission and I realize every flaw and mistake we always made when we share our opinion about strategy and also... we always jump into weird conclusion and bad decision. I never told them about this. I should have warned them I—"

"YUU!" Yuu's eyes darting at Mitsuba, the girl's face is red from anger. "HOW DARE YOU SAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT, HUH? ARE YOU TRYING TO BECOME A HERO?"

"No.. I just—"

"Oi, Baka-Yuu... don't put that stupid drama in this room," Kimizuki said with a cold stare.

"It's not your fault, Yuu-kun." Yoichi with a quivering voice. "Everyone is to blame here. We make our mistake. I should have run with Kimizuki-kun that night because Shinoa-san won't get angry at us just because we run away, but I'm being selfish and ask Kimizuki-kun to fight with me and this is what I get. It's also my fault to make the strategy to walk in pairs.. not considering that Knight would come out and ambush one of the parties and make help won't come for the other party which facing Pinocchio."

"I also... if I know that Knight attacks you guys. I should have called for help and backup team to help you—help us. But I don't do that." Yuu notices Kimizuki clenches his finger into a fist and it's trembling very hard.

"I... should suggest to run or heading to the place where Shinoa and Kimizuki go to Yuu not facing the Knight... Sorry."

Yuu then looks at Shinoa who stands beside Mitsuba, the girl uses her unusual flat face and keeps her stare at Guren's desk, never open up her mouth then he look at Guren who let out a long sigh.

"Fantastic. Now you guys acting like very intimate friends." Guren said in a sarcastic tone. "I don't really want to—"

Before Guren can finish his sentence the sound of knocking door catches his attention as he look behind Yuu's back and noticed Shigure give him a polite bow before announces, "Guren-sama, Shinya-sama is calling for you in his office."

"Tell him I'll meet him after this."

The room fell into deep silence after Shigure closes the door and Guren let out a very long sigh. "I'm thinking to dissolve this squad, but that Shinya probably gives me some bad news and I guess letting this group dissolved will only harm the commission. Promise me one thing, make this event when I called you guys only to be scold be the first and the last, got it."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"So, let me announce the punishment. Double paperwork for each member of this squad, not allow taking any mission related to A above rank ghoul until I or higher ups give you any new mission."

Yuu really wants to groan at Guren's announcement, but he knows that if he does that the man would probably give them the worst punishment ever. And no, even if it's a bit annoys him it's not really hard to do.

"Now, dismiss. But, Yuu, stay here. I have something to tell you."

Truth is, Yuu never want to be left alone with Guren. No, after he lets out such a selfish comment and lead up a drama when Guren is must be the one who scold him and his teammates.

 _He's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill me._

Even his teammates looks and expression didn't make he calmed down or they don't even try to reassure him. They look at him with a stare full of guilt, especially Mitsuba and Yoichi, who had big round eyes, their eyes looks like a sad puppy and it makes Yuu really want to go with them and cheer them up. But the worst one is Shinoa's the girl had that expression when you hold back every tear and scream and just look at him with a small smile tainted with sorrows.

Now, Yuu totally left alone with grumpy-old-man and he can't help but furrow his eyebrows.

"Now what? Special punishment for me?"

"No. I just want to have a chat with you." Said Guren as he proceeds to sit on his throne behind the majestic mahogany table.

"Huh… how funny. You almost make me laugh, Guren."

"Shut it. Are you still living with Shinoa?"

"Um.. yes. She never wants to leave whenever I told her so."

"What do you think about her?"

"You serious? Is that your question?"

"As expected, you won't give me the exact answer."

"You always told me to consider my friends as my own family, and Shinoa is my family."

"Hohoo.. I'm surprised you still remember that."

"I thought you would say your catchphrase about comrade is your family or something earlier."

"I was going to say that before Shigure breaks the mood."

"Yeah yeah.. you really want to have this meaningless conversation with me? How about the one who calling you.. who was it again… um.. Saiya?"

"Shinya. And I just want to tell you that I'll probably be gone for two or three weeks. Higher-ups call me and that Shinya probably just wants to make sure I come."

"Huh? Why are you telling me this?"

"To make sure that Shinoa didn't make any reckless thing while I'm gone."

"I'm surprised you're not talking about me."

"I believe Mitsuba can discipline you somehow, but Shinoa is a different case."

"Why?"

"You have seen the scars, right?"

Yuu gulped. "..yes.."

"That's why."

"Haa?! Explain!"

"Too lazy to explain. But, if anything comes really bad or I can't be by your guys side, I trust this squad, especially Shinoa on you."

"Huh? Why? Last time we talked about trust is when I lied to you because I broke your vase and—"

"So you did break the vase."

"...Sorry."

"Brat like you finally knows how to say sorry."

"Shut up."

"Well, Yuu. Get the fuck out from my office."

"Fuck you too."

* * *

The sky is pitch black when Yuu finally returns home.

Because the quiet-mode Shinoa is back and it's really hard to talk to, he just let she do what she wants even when she announce she need time to be alone.

" _Tadaima_ ," Yuu felt ashamed for expecting someone reply him and quickly heading towards the kitchen to heat up the lunch—dinner—box to the microwaves and sat in the living room changing the channel to channel with a bored gaze. Found nothing to watch, and he not really sure when the girl would back, Yuu decides to rinse himself off and some clothes to change as he waiting for his dinner to be ready.

After such a late dinner, Yuu is on his bed now trying to sleep after this super long day and thinking of seeing Mika when he has—he sure has—time tomorrow. It's been a long time since last time he visits :re and he wonders is Mika does a part-time job there or simply an employee. He also wants to know what happen after that night, how he manages to run from that ghoul and how his life without protection from CCG and all. Yuu grins at how many questions filling his head and wonder if he still remembers them when he saw the blond boy tomorrow.

Yuu's body tensed when he felt the bed move and lifts his head to find a silhouette moving behind him, freaks out he jolts up and found Shinoa smiling with half-closed eyes.

Just when this girl sneaking into his room!

"Sorry if I disturb you."

"Oh yes, you disturb me, you sneaky. What. Are. You. Doing. In. My. Fucking. Room."

"Nothing~~~"

" _Get out_."

"How meany.. I'm leaving this house week after next so let us do something that would be good memories tonight."

Yuu felt his face heating up, "WH-WHAT T-THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

He regrets the stuttering and panic tone in his voice as Shinoa's famous evil smirk spreading on her face, "Please don't imagine dirty things about me and get hard because that is not what I mean." She said in a playful tone then clapping her hands, "Let's talk about what Associate special-class said today."

Yuu raised one of his eyebrows and said, "Seriously?"

"It's a rare thing that Associate special-class wants to talk with you alone. So, what was it?"

"Nothing much. He doesn't seem so mad like we imagine and that Shigure girl breaks the good mood for climax part." Yuu stops and waiting for teasing coming out from Shinoa's mouth, but he only found the silence stretching even more and makes everything become awkward.

"Is that... really it?" The girl suddenly mutters, she is clutching at the blanket and her long bangs hiding her most of the expression, but Yuu can notice she biting her lower lips hard and her figure was trembling. Yuu did think she was faking it—looking at her personality it can be right—and waiting for about one minute before initiating to hug the girl, but he found Shinoa's body tense before he even touch her and smile bitterly before placing his right hand to the girl's head and caressing it slowly.

"Shinoa?" Yuu speaks up after around a minute or two of wordlessness. He stares at his own hand that can't stop caressing Shinoa's soft hair. "What happen? Are you upset about what Guren said to you today? Well, that's really out of your character."

He fails to receive any response, but he forges on anyway.

"Look, Guren may be a jerk that only knows how to scold people, but except that guy no one in this squad blames you. The punishment isn't that bad tho.. but, you know, I'm not really good at doing the paperwork thing and Guren always keeps me awake to learn to write that thing before and yet he keeps yelling at me when I think I do it exactly as he told me to do. So, please let me be in your guys care." Yuu moistens his lips, truth is he doesn't want to ask this, but he may never found any moment like this again later, so he lowers his head to find the girl's face behind those long bangs and asked.

"...Honestly, Guren mentions about the scar.. you said it from accidents, what accident?" Yuu tried to put a lighter tone in his words and found Shinoa stirs at his words means she's listening.

He lets out a long sigh before tried to ask the real question, "Can I ask you where you got those scars?"

Yuu expects no response, but Shinoa lifts her head, both her eyes red and wet from tears. She's just smiling, and Yuu found the smile is beautiful, even if it's tinged with deep sorrow.

"First, I'm surprised with this side of yours. And Second, I'm crying because I ashamed of myself, seeing my friends back me up and even said everything that I wanted to say to Associate Special-class Ichinose. Especially you, I don't know you have that stupid-but-a-little-bit-sexy-but-unfortunately-it's-funny expression."

"I'm surprised you can piss me off in a time like this." Yuu said as he retreats his hand before Shinoa can mention them. "Then?"

"Last but not least.. I've heard rumors that many of investigator witnessed my sister hanging around in this district and near Sanguinem's former bases. Hearing that, even if he is in District 1 right now Kureto-nii gives every investigator above First class to capture her dead or alive.. I think that is why Associate special-class Ichinose called for."

"..'That so?" Yuu said in a clear tone. "It's a good news, isn't it?"

"No, it's not. They will kill her before I even manage to—"

"Shinoa." Yuu cuts her off and placing his hand on her chin to force the crimson eyes looked back at him, "Why are you talking about your sister like that?"

"What's with that question?" Shinoa smiles, a dark smile as she grabs Yuu's wrist tilts her head to the right. "She turns her back to me.. after all these times, and every experiment she put on me."

"Is your sister who did that to you? The scars? She abused you?" Yuu asks furrowing his eyebrows.

"Technically no. But she is the reason behind these scars." Shinoa said in a low tone.

"What happen?"

"Why do you mind my business that much?"

"Shinoa.. You're my friend.. My family."

"..."

"Guren ever said to me that we should consider our teammates as our family and cherished them. You are my family now, Shinoa. Is it really bad that I want to help my family?"

"Sorry, but I don't even know what is a definition of family at all."

"You think I know what family is? Before I came to Hyakuya orphanage, people then think because the ghoul killed my parents I lived there, but no, my family sold me to a…well… rich ghoul after abusing me every single day then one day...urgh—My point is.. I also didn't know what family should do or yeah… whatever, but, Mika always asks me when he knows something is wrong.."

Those red eyes look at him intently, then Shinoa let out a sigh.

"….They said my mom isn't Hiiragi and my father—Hiiragi Tenri, married her just because she's also a part of some cult organization. Then, my sister was born as a prodigy then after that I was born.. Unfortunately, I'm not a genius like my sister so my father thinks that he didn't need mom again and killed her. Ever since no one allowed me to enter Hiiragi mansion and no one actually cares about my existence before one day, my sister volunteered me as a marmot for her experiment."

She pauses to let out a hollow, half-hearted laugh. "These scars are from that experiment, even the scientist back then surprised I'm still alive and healthy up until today. My sister never said a word to me, I don't need to apologize because I know that my sister doesn't have any choice either as no one can't defy father. But, at least, she can greet me by saying Welcome home, do you want anything to for dinner? Today is a hard day isn't it? or Good night, Shinoa. Have a nice dream. Just as simple as that, I want her to ask me about the school, about Micchan, about the experiments, or talks about the work, latest case she's been working on, her idea about this experiment, why she chooses me, anything. If she does that… I don't think I would hate her even if she ended up standing at the ghoul's side." Shinoa frowns. "Happy now?"

Shinoa can't really process what happen next, she did feel a solid hand pull her and then she can feel those warm hands on her back, and Yuu's breath is tickling at her right ear. She wants to make a joke at this sudden act, but then Yuu tightens his hug and whispering to her, "You can cry if you want to."

Shinoa can't help but smile and feels that the tears streaming down from her eyes, she raised her hand to hug the man back, but she remembered a certain sentence from Guren the other day.

You better not let your first teammate died, Shinoa.

"Yuu-san, sorry to disappoint you, but I really want to ask this; are you just use me for a practice after reading some kind of romance book? because the atmosphere really feels like one. Your words too."

"I hate you, Shinoa."

"You're welcome, Cherry boy."

* * *

"How is the meeting anyway?" Guren asks nonchalantly as he plays with his PSP. Shinya had noticed Guren always avoided everything about Hiiragi family, even if he did come to the headquarter, he don't take any step to the meeting room. He sure knows why it's all about the stare Guren got and even if he's there no one is going to listen to him.

So it's meaningless, right? Is what Guren always told him.

Shinya needs a moment to think how to answer and what Guren really referring to. Guren isn't a type that would listen to such a long story from the beginning to the end so Shinya must make the explanation or everything as short as possible, but still give the raven haired man every information that he want and need to listen. "I'm surprised you still play that game with that thing,"

"Well… it's because I don't have any time to buy new games or consoles." Guren replies noncommittally as he let his avatar died to the dead blow from the boss stage and turn off the console just like that. Guren says nothing else on the subject, which make Shinya knows that the place isn't really saved for them to talk freely about what higher-ups are thinking. Also, there is a much thing that even Shinya doesn't want everyone to hear, he can't afford to voice it now.

"Let's talk about it once we get home." Guren states as he heads to the front door.

Ichinose's house is always empty. It's only Guren, Sayuri and Shigure who live in it as the other clan's members has been annihilated for disposing of Hiiragi house a few years ago. As the last Ichinose, he wonders what kind of burden the man should shoulder. He must live as an Ichinose but also obey to every word that Hiiragi told him to do.

"I'm going to change my clothes," Guren proclaims when he enters the house, he took a glance at his shoulder as just to make sure Shinya is still there before adding, "Just wait for me in the living room. You know where it is, right?"

Shinya tries to sort up every information that he gets from the meeting, no, its more kinds of Kureto and Hiiragi Tenri is debating over which one they want to destroy first. Sanguinem or the famous Eusford Family. Shinya moves to where he usually sits and open up a box of chess, trying to do some match against himself as he waiting for Guren to come back. Guren doesn't take long, and soon seats himself opposite Shinya, wearing his casual and more comfortable clothes. But what makes Shinya surprise is, Guren even brought two can of beer.

Shinya takes one look at him and says, "Is it for me?"

Guren frowns. "Is there any living person here besides you?"

He can't help but smile at it, "I don't know that you really kind, Guren."

His words are met with a derisive snort. "And there you are, questioning why Hiiragi house chooses you to become one of them." Guren chortles. "Back to the main topic, how is the meeting. Well, is that old man and grumpy eyebrow still doing that lovely family act?"

"Unfortunately, I give only 30% of my attention to that family act. And um.. how should I put it? There'll be the biggest raid Hiiragi department ever do since that incident."

"What incident? Mahiru?"

"Yes."

"Hmm… Then, what kind of team these guys want me to prepare?"

"The strongest one, also… the new team where you put Shinoa in."

"I thought no one in this family care about that girl."

"It is. But there's also a Sanguu member of the team too, they are starting to target you and this team. You should make them believe you won't betray them,"

"Are you saying that they'll put those kids on the front lines or something?" Guren says sharply.

Shinya can't help but nods, "Hiiragi never believes you from the start, Guren. So everything about you always makes them suspicious even on this team too. They start to think that there is a spy among us, especially the kid from Hyakuya orphanage."

Guren sighs. "I already know about that. But suspecting Shinoa's team is the most stupid thing I've ever heard. Those kids know nothing about this, and also every single one of them is loyal to the commission so suspecting them is just wasting time and energy, to be honest." He pauses and frowns, "Is Kureto knows about Yuu's identity?"

"I have already deleted every information about Yuu as you told me to without leaving any trails or anything also I've heard the Shigure fills the form about him and other member—except Shinoa and Mitsuba—with fake information."

"But that won't make Kureto don't touch them, huh? He has that Aoi after all."

"Yes, I thought we can't hide them forever, so maybe transfer them to another district may be the best option we should take." Shinya nods in agreement. "But, the news about Shinoa's squad take Pinocchio's case alone make Kureto-niisan put interest on them."

"So that is why he wants that amateur squad to join this raid?"

Shinya answers without hesitation, "You should think about what Kureto-niisan would think when you give them a mission, Guren. The information not only ends and stuck in our office, it would spread up and reach his ear in the end."

Guren leans on the chair and looking at the smiling silver-haired man who just did over than 10 checkmates between this heated discussion. "Is Narumi's squad would join too?" He asks.

"I don't know. Do you want them to join?"

"At least, I can trust those kids to him."

Shinya's not going to lie about this, "So, what are you planning on putting them in one party? Whether the Eusford family and Sanguinem's both of them are too dangerous for them, they barely had any Special class anyway. Also, If Eusford family is part of Sanguinem, I doubt they wouldn't help to guard the mansion."

"You just make my head hurts." Guren looks scandalized, and Shinya finds it amusing enough that he anticipates how he'll look when he says, "Let's call it for a day and as for the gratitude for the information, I'll take your bed and the whole room tonight."

Guren's answering expression doesn't disappoint and Shinya chuckles at his wide-eyed look. Surprisingly, rather than be affronted by it, Guren just said, "Then fight me if you want to ocupy my room," with a smirk on his face.

"Checkmate. I win."

"Oh Fuck you... Shinya."


End file.
